Mother Uzumaki
by rosyhatake
Summary: Who said the elemental nations were kind? From the beginning she was aware of her surroundings. born to an ExJonin of Uzu and Konoha nin, Mizuko goes through the struggles of a weak powerless woman in a place where they arent kind to people with nearly extinct bloodlines. Follow Mizuko as she tries to raise a few rowdy Uzumaki and Jinchuriki. oc Uzumaki, uzumaki clan rebuilt
1. Prologue: A New Life

**_Disclaimer *_****There are very heavy themes in this book.**If **you** are **not** **okay** with that **please stop reading**. This is **based** **off** what **kumo** **wanted** to do to **Hinata** (**Kidnap and revive the clan in their village)** So young **teen** **pregnancy**, some **mentions** of **reincarnation**, **mentions** of **rape**, **child abuse,** **mental disorders** and a more militaristic Shinobi Villages. Naruto gets adopted AU

Third-person POV _

She quickly made sure that her attire was perfect as she left her apartment, Her short curly blonde hair was perfect.

She wasn't a natural blonde, she had bleached her hair and hadn't added color since she had dark purple and it had simply faded.

It had been a long work week and it was finally her day off.

'Pick us up, we are already!'

She smirked as she saw the text message her friend sent her.

After putting in 40 hours that week she was ready to let loose and she was going with a few coworkers and close friends.

"Get in bitch." She yelled as she rolled down her window, music was blasting loudly.

"EHHHH Bitch, you ready to get down. " A woman with short brown hair and green eyes smirked as she held up a bottle of tequila.

"UGH, I told you to get Malibu rum, not tequila! Bitch you know I can't hold my tequila." She laughed as her friend climbed to in the front seat.

"Bah, whatever. Just be happy I brought us some. I want to get crossfaded before I even make it to the front door." Tai, the brunette smirked as she turned the radio up.

"Girl play something else. Here I'll pick the next song." Tai smirked as she grabbed the phone and began scrolling through her friend's phone.

"Okay, Okay. We have to pick up Cassandra and then my co-worker Allie. Girl you are going to love her she is a party animal. And she has that good kush." She made it seem like she was smoking.

"Fuck yeah, Just look for the addresses on my phone so we can pick them up." She smirked as she drove off again.

Before they knew it they were in the club enjoying the wild crowd that seemed to move with the DJ's music. The bass was so loud that they could barely hear themselves talk and they were taking videos of their night out.

They could barely keep track of each other as they were asked out to dance. Soon enough they had all gone their separate ways.

Mei didn't feel like she needed her friends nearby as she moved from one dance floor to the next. She had alcohol in her blood and although her heels were digging into her feet and causing blisters she was having too much fun to care.

"Dance with me?" A man slurred and she nodded as she followed him. They moved to the music.

"Man you're so fucking hot." The man slurred and was falling over. She could feel her smile fading away. "Uh yeah, I have to go my friends are calling me, but thanks for the dance I had fun." She quickly backed away. If she had known the guy was this wasted she would have rejected him from the get-go.

"Ah c'mon, don't be a spoilsport." He stumbled slightly as he wrapped his hands around her waist and began trying to kiss her neck.

"Stop, Look I am not interested and I am not that kind of girl." She scoffed pushing him off and quickly walking away.

"Don't be that way, I just wanted to dance." He slurred as he grabbed her hand and she quickly snatched it away.

" I have to go, Bye" She huffed out annoyed at his actions. She quickly made her way to the bar. "Excuse me, sir, do you have a napkin? I want to wipe my glasses." The bartender nodded and glanced behind her.

Mei pushed a strand of curly blonde hair behind her ear and waited.

She turned to see the same guy from earlier following her. She sneered and looked away as she tookthe napkin the bartender was handing her. "Thanks." She muttered as she cleaned her glasses and placed them back on her face.

She started to look for her phone and realized that she had told her friend Tai to hold it and she couldn't help but internally groan. She was in Atlanta Georgia in one of the biggest clubs, there were two dance floors and they were both stuffed with people. She would waste her time looking for them.

She sighed as she noticed she had the car keys in her bra. 'Well at least they can't leave without me' she thought to herself.

She glanced over and noticed the drunk guy was back on the dance floor. 'Might as well dance and look for them on the dance floor, I'm sure I'll run into them.' she thought to herself as she walked toward the other part of the building.

Just as she was about to walk out someone grabbed her hand and spun her around. She was shocked when she noticed a tall handsome guy in front of her, He held a beer in one hand and was smirking slightly. "Wanna dance?"

She could feel her cheeks flush as she smiled at him. "Yeah, Definitely." and before she knew it she was back in the crowd.

"Alright, everyone! The club is closed Please leave the building!"

She giggled as she was kissing the guy as they exchanged numbers.

"Fuck your crazy." He laughed as he kissed her feverishly. "Of course I am, Anyway I have to find my friends." She smiled at him. They had somehow gotten their hands on a few bottles and chugged a bit, both of them were tipsy and had adrenaline pumping in their blood from all the dancing.

"Why don't you call them?" He asked and she sighed. " I gave my friend my phone so she could hold it for me, but forgot to get it back. But those bitches can't leave without me, I have the keys." She giggles as she pulled the key from inside her shirt and he laughed.

"Well I have to find my ride too, so we should look in the parking lot. I think my friends were at the other dance floor and they closed off the entrance to the other part of the club.

She nodded and they both stumbled out of the building. Now that she was no longer dancing and drinking she could feel her feet ache as from dancing in heels all night long.

"That's my car." She pointed at the vehicle and they both waited as they talked and made out for a couple of minutes.

"Bitch! I thought someone kidnapped you! I all worried and you're out here having the time of your life!" Tai yelled her green eyes wide and face scrunched up in anger.

"Ah don't be like that, besides you have my phone." Mei grinned as she held out her hand. Tai rolled her eyes and placed the phone in her hand and flipped her hair back.

"Anyways, I had fun. Text me." Mei turned and winked at the guy and he smirked. "I will. I gotta go and find my ride too." He chuckled and walked away.

"Okay, who's sober?" Mei asked and Allie smirked. "Bitch I got them to buy us 3 rounds of drinks and beer and I drank almost all of it. I am wasted." She laughed loudly.

"I drank a lot too, besides I don't even have a license and I can't drive here. it's too big and I can't even drive in a three-lane road much less a four-lane." Cassandra stated pointing out that she was the youngest at 18.

"Well, Tai, it's you or me." Mei stated.

"I drank two beers and a few shots but that was hours ago when we got here at 10 p.m It is 4 a.m I am sober enough to drive. And with that stupid smirk on your face, I can tell you had a few more shots after we split." Tai took the keys.

They all got into the car and were listening to the music as they were being dropped off. " You can stay at my house." Tai stated as she turned to her blonde-haired friend who nodded.

"Thanks for dropping me off, I had fun. See you at work on Monday." Cassandra called out as she closed the door to the car.

"Bye Cass. We are definitely doing this again!" Mei called out waving goodbye to her friend before turning to her friend Tai. "Okay, then I'll crash at your place then." She stated as they were off again.

Mei was humming to herself as she was leaned back in the passenger seat. She was smiling as she thought of how the night had gone. The car had slowed down and stopped in front of a red light and they were waiting although the road seemed pretty empty.

"Damn, My feet hurt so much. Next time I am taking flats." Tai huffed as she glanced at her friend beside her. "Yeah, tell me about it. We are gonna have blisters the size of our toes. Walked in with five toes on each foot, left with six each" She joked as the light turned green.

" Go, The light changed." Mei stated as Tai set her phone down, she had been changing the music.

"Damn right. At least you have an office job I have to be on my feet so Monday is going to be a bitch." She grumbled as she sped forward.

"Yeah, I kno- TAI!!" Mei screamed her eyes widening at the vehicle that was speeding toward them.

It took only a second and a bright light. Mei was suddenly engulfed in pain as she heard glass shattering and the sound of the other vehicle hitting theirs.

"MEI!! Stay with me! Oh my god, Mei! Mei!"

Mei felt her vision unfocused, her ears were ringing as she tried to turn to see her screaming friend. A sharp pain shot up her neck and she forced herself to stay still. Somehow breathing was a little harder.

'the car it... it hit us. Oh my god, I can't move. Am I going to die?' Mei looked down to see her body held securely by the seat belt, her legs were crushed by the door and her seat.

'oh my god, oh my god! I can't move them, I can't!' she was breathing hard as she tried to move her legs and she felt a hot white pain but her muscles were sluggish and they would not obey her.

'I'm going to die, I'm going to die here!' She panicked as she thought of her family, She had been the second oldest of six siblings. Her parents would be devastated, she was only 23 and had just started her life. She hadn't even gone to college yet since she had been so indecisive about what she wanted to take. She never got married or had kids.

She couldn't help but think of all that she would miss. She had wanted to go to college, have a career, have a kid or two, adopt some kids or foster some when she was financially stable. Grow old beside the man or woman she loved. but now.

"T-Tai, I-I don't want to die." She stuttered out as she slowly turned to her friend as she ignored the pain when she was moving.

"We are going to be okay, dear God, I'll get us out of here." She stammered out as she was dialing 911 for help and was trying to get her seat belt off and help her friend.

Mei hissed in pain as she looked down again at all the blood and noticed that her body hurt. "Tai, I'm cold." She stammered out trying to move her hands but they wouldn't move and she began to cry as her vision darkened. She closed her eyes trying to ignore the pain and move.

"Mei, mei! Stay awake!" She heard from beside her, but her eyes felt heavy and her body cold and it hurt too much.

"Mei! Please send help I think she is passing out!" She continued to hear yelling but it was far away and her breathing got shallower and she felt like she was being lulled to sleep

Warmth, that is what she felt. A soft thumping sound as well. She didn't think or need to move a lot. There was also energy around her, like soft waves on a beach. She could feel the coldness of it, yet she felt warm.

She could also hear the muffled voices, they were far away and she couldn't make out what they were saying. But that didn't matter to her, she was comfortable.

She didn't know how long she had been there and she didn't care. But soon she found that it was getting cramped and she had to curl into a small ball. And then it was like the soft warm walls that had held her were pushing against her and moving her. She was being squeezed through something and could barely fit.

And suddenly the warmness was gone. The air around her felt cold and something was shoved down her throat. She let out a shrill.

"Congratulations! It's a girl!"

Hey Guys!

Please be aware that this story is a bit canon divergent and although Naruto will be a main character it will be mainly based around the OC. Also, Naruto won't appear until the 5-12 chapter since the OC is in Kakashi's age range.

Comment to your heart desires I love feedback and reactions.

OC will not have all of their past memories, she will have more deja vu moments and think as she did in her past life. She will have some memories but she will not know that she had a past life.

She was a very forward person who liked to have fun, believed inequality and all the things most of us more modern women believe. She also will not let herself be pushed around. I might make her a ninja but that is debatable.

Rosymalik


	2. Chapter One: Who are you

Third Person POV_

Heavy, That is what the small child felt. Her body felt heavy and tired like when you are just about to fall asleep from exhaustion but you are trying to stay awake.

She would wake up hungry and whimper out softly, At first, her new parents worried as they noticed how the small infant was so quiet, but the doctor had reassured them that the child was not ill.

Rumi Uzumaki cradled her small infant, a soft warm smile on her face as she held the little bundle. The child always seemed to get restless when she was away but would always calm down when she held her near close.

The small baby had wisps of bright red hair and a small button nose, from the small glimpses from where she opened her eyes they could tell she had light hazel eyes almost a like a deep gold. The young mother cooed at her little Mizuko her little water child.

Ever since the fall of her Uzumaki homeland, Rumi would barely smile and although very happy in her marriage with her husband, life did seem unbearably dull without her Uzumaki Kin to bring life to her daily life.

She had once called herself a Proud Jonin of Uzushio, a Seal Master within the ranks of her village. Talented enough to be a guard to the main house of their clan. It had been a great honor.

But as her homeland had been attacked, she fought fiercely and slaughtered all that she came across. But she had been tasked with something special. Keeping the Clan secrets safe. With great care, the woman had created complex seals across her body and sealed all she could on herself.

All high ranking shinobi had been told that it did not matter if Rumi Uzumaki lived, all that mattered was that her body did not fall to the enemy. Her body that held generations of seals hidden inside her.

When it had become apparent that the city would be breached families had shown up in front of her with massive scrolls of more personal seals, theories and unfinished products from their families or personal works. All to be kept and safeguarded and returned once the invasion had ceased.

But they were never returned. The Uzumaki fought like crazed bloodthirsty warriors. They would kill their opponents with no mercy, men, women, children both shinobi and civilian alike seemed like wild beasts on the battlefield.

Even as they bled out and fell into heaps of blood and flesh they killed their opponents.

Children with missing limbs and makeshift weapons cutting down enemy ninja, covered in blood as they used suicide seals that blasted everyone in a 20-50 meter radius once they felt that they were more dead than alive as they fell in heaps and crumbled from blood loss.

The ocean was colored red from all of the blood, the smell of copper and metal as the Uzumaki demanded blood for attacking their home.

Had that not been enough the Uzumaki wearing masks had been worse. They used their own brethren's bodies as puppets seeming to hold their souls inside the mauled lumps of flesh long enough that their own numbers did not diminish fast enough. They also seemed to bring the shinigami alive and force the vengeful deity among the masses of Iwa, Kiri and Kumo Shinobi.

The shinobi fled as they saw the shinigami move through them ripping bodies apart.

The three village generals watched in horror from the safety of their boats as the Uzumaki showed them why they were to be feared in the first place.

Red-haired monsters that seemed to bathe in blood and caused the incoming ninja to hesitate. Any that survived the encounter would no longer be the same.

Rumi had fought for her village as well. She could remember seeing her family and blood fighting alongside the masses of the enemy ninja. She could remember her pregnant cousin Umi as she cut through ninja with a loud war cry. As her body was dismembered but the woman kept fighting until she found that she had no hands to fight with so she used her legs and used her mouth to hold her weapon and as she was torn apart by a kenjustu user she still continued to try and fight until a kunai was lodged into her skull, but even then her body had exploded killing another five enemy ninja that had been nearby.

She could still remember the day, and deep down she had always wondered what it would have been like if they had been on the mainland. Maybe then the enemy ninja would have fled and her clan would have survived, But with the whirlpools and the boats not allowing their ninja to return they had been forced to stay on the island and fight the chakra monsters that had dubbed themselves Uzumaki.

She had managed to flee. How she had done it? She doesn't know but maybe it was when she fell into the ocean after exhausting her reserves. But she woke up on the shore of the mainland. When she had returned to her village it had been burned to the ground. There were piles of charred Uzumaki bodies all around her

She could remember as she stood in front of the home of the clan head. It had been robbed and was empty. She had stood there with tears in her eyes laughing. They had lost, they had lost and we're all dead. But the enemy lost as well, they lost nearly all of their forces. For every one Uzumaki shinobi or civilian, they had brought nearly 50 ninjas and yet they had nearly lost.

And the best part? The spoils of war the enemy had taken were all C rank and lower. She had Everything that was B Rank and Higher. All of the teachings of the Uzumaki Seals were with her and everything that had been left behind was not of much importance. Yet that day she lost something else.

It had taken her a long time to realize but with all of the high chakra based techniques, she used she had also been poisoned and her chakra network had suffered. Rumi Uzumaki one of the survivors of the Massacre in Uzushio had a chakra network that she would never be able to use again except for the slight use of seals and maybe the water walking technique at most.

She had gone into hiding and that is when she found her husband. Daiki Senju, Was a handsome man with dark brown olive-colored skin and light brown hair. His eyes were a Hazel gold and he was a man tired of fighting. He had lost his team in a mission and had been injured.

After Rumi had met him, they fell in love. Tired of the shinobi lifestyle Daiki stayed with her. They had wanted to get away from the fighting, and the land of fire. For all Daiki cared they could consider him missing in action. They fled to the land of Iron and had decided to get married and start their civilian life.

And before long the small bundle that was Mizuko Uzumaki was born. She was an odd babe, yet they loved her dearly. Rumi would make sure the child would grow with her Uzumaki roots in her. She would teach her child all she knew so that the Uzumaki clan could be revived.

Hours turned to days, Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and before they knew it little Mizuko was a few months old. The child was silent and observant. She would look at things and watch them carefully.

Rumi loved her small child. She had expected her child to be lively since Uzumaki had massive reserves as did the Senju. But she was content with how her little baby watched everything with curious eyes.

"Darling I am home, I brought a buck. I'll go ahead and skin it in a bit." Daiki called out as he entered his home.

Mizuko POV_

A loud deep voice called out as I pull away from the edge of the bed, 'Fall, Hurt, danger.' seemed to blare in my mind as I glanced at the edge of the bed once more.

"How's my little water droplet huh?" I look up as I saw the tall yet familiar figure in front of me. I could feel his large hands around my body as I was lifted.

"My cute baby girl." He cooed as he placed his forehead on mine. I couldn't help the warm fuzzy feeling of happiness in my tummy as I saw those hazel eyes staring at me. It was something so familiar to me that it gave me a sense of comfort.

My vision wavered for a bit and I couldn't help but smile wider.

'look at my eyes.' 'wow papa, they are so pretty, Daddy can I have eyes like yours?' 'sure honey.' a small giggle escaped my lips as I remembered small kisses being placed on my chubby cheeks.

I gave a gummy grin and squealed loudly making the man pull away and then place kisses on my cheeks and give me a raspberry making me squeal louder. I placed my chubby hands on his cheeks and gently tugged on them as I laughed.

My mind was brought out of that musing as I felt soft ocean waves and light salt. I turned and saw the red-haired woman, She had a small smile on her face and I giggled as I turned back to the man as I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck.

They were talking but I could not understand what they were saying. Suddenly I looked at my chubby hands and I smiled as I clapped them and tried to move my fingers around. All previous thoughts vanished and I was looking around again trying to see what new things I could see.

Time went by and I learned that I liked them both. I felt safe around them. His hazel eyes and the earthy scent made me feel comfort and safe. While with her I felt like I was near a large ocean and the scent of the sea salt filled my nose and I could almost feel and hear the waves gently hitting the shore, It felt familiar, like something that had been around me all my life and that would surround and protect me.

I felt no unhappiness and although I did get frustrated when my chubby hands would not move like I wanted them too or my feet, I was slowly getting better at using them.

I could also remember crying over simple things but somehow I couldn't remember why anymore. I would fall asleep and wake up near those two's presence and I was happy.

Slowly I was understanding more, the first thing I learned was no. I could hear it in their voice that they were upset and their presence would change slightly when they said it. So I would stop and stare at them. When they calmed down I would try to do what I had been doing before, they would say the word again and their presence did the same and I would stop. Sometimes they picked me up and moved me away from where I was.

Other times I would just leave it alone and crawl away.

"Come Mizuko-chan you can do it!" I placed my foot in front of the other and held my hands out to keep steady. "Wow, you can do it. C'mon!" She cheered again and I could feel a happy buzz coming from her presence and I smiled widely at her as I took another step. Her presence became lighter and I couldn't help but wobble, I was so happy tears formed in my eyes. "Yay!" She cheered although she came and picked me uplifting me up in the air.

"Wait till your papa sees you! You are such a big girl!" She cheered and I nearly cried because I was so happy.

I giggled loudly as I held my hands out to her. I latched onto her and let her place soft kisses on my cheeks making me smile.

"maama" I squealed and she stopped, Her presence was warm and fuzzy and she held me closer. "You said, mama!" She cried out happily.

I gave her a gummy smile. "maama"

"Water." I say and she nods as she gives me the cup of water. "Yes, this is water." She smiled and I grin up at her as I grab the cup with both hands and began to drink. I let out a satisfied sigh and look up at her. "I like water!" I smile at her and she patted my head.

"I'm home!" I heard a deep voice and I could feel myself smile as I ran. I saw papa and crash into him. He picked me up and placed kisses on my cheeks. "How's my raindrop?" He chuckled as he held me in his arms and I nuzzled into his chest. I felt the light buzzing in my chest and smiled.

"Tell papa what you learned today Mizuko-chan." Mama smiled as she walked into the room. " I like water." I smile proudly and papa kissed my cheeks. I giggled loudly as he began walking to the kitchen. He handed my mother a sack and kissed her lips.

"I've brought meat, vegetables, and rice." He smiled and my mama nodded.

"I'll make dinner." She nodded.

"This is the base, these are the twelve seals. okay?" Mama pointed at the circle and then at the kanji. "Base, twelve kanji." I pointed at them each and my mama nodded.

"Good now you will write your kanji here okay? Mama will be making food." She smiled and I nodded. I used my chubby hands to write the kanji, I wrote with a smile on my face. "Mama tell me more about our home?" I asked and she smiled.

"Well, uzushiogakure was very beautiful. How about I show you one of our temple dances after you're finished practicing your calligraphy?" She asked and I grinned.

"Yeah! I'll finish very fast so we dance!" I squealed and she sighed. "Now Mizuko-chan. You know I want you to take your time. You need good handwriting in order to practice your seals." She stated and I frowned.

"Stupid boring seals." I grumbled and began working as my kaa-san laughed slightly.

"That is your chakra. Here since you have large reserves you need lots of chakra control training." Papa stated.

"Papa, Does chakra feel like, uh, water?" I asked as I looked up at him. "What do you mean Raindrop?" He asked as he crouched down. My cheeks flushed and I looked away. "Mama feels like water, Papa feels like uh." I looked around trying to explain how he felt.

"Like dirt. And when mama and papa are happy they are nice and warm and bubbly. But when mad it's cold or really hot." I say as I look up at him.

He blinked and stared at me. "My god, my little raindrop is a chakra sensor." He grinned and pulled me into a hug. "You feel our chakra natures. I have an earth nature so my chakra feels pretty earthy, your mom's element is water. And when it gets nice and warm and nice it means we are happy, cold is upset and hot means we are mad. I'll ask your mama if she knows more about chakra sensing okay?" He stated and I nodded.

I fidgeted slightly, my mama's expression was calm as she looked over my storage seal her eyes narrow as she inspected the seal.

"Hmm, Not deplorable. Your kanji is neat compared to your previous attempts, and I see you are finally getting down the thickness of the brush strokes. It's not a masterpiece but it's your best work so far. You are doing great for a second level apprentice. I do want you to write ten pages of each kanji though. Higher-level seal work requires precision and exact measurements. I want you to practice setting the thickness of your strokes as well. " She stated as she set the seal down and sipped her tea.

"Hai, Mama." I nodded as I looked down at the seal with a smile on my face as I sealed it in a scroll mama had given me.

"After you train with your father, we will go over math and science theories and cover more seal work kanji." She stated as she got up. I grabbed my notebook and began to work.

My mother and father had opened up a small store, as a seal master she had been taught how to make high-quality paper and now she sold that in the store.

She would make it my father sell it, so she stayed home with me. She had also concealed her bright red hair in a cloth and wore a seal to change its color. Her hair was now a dark brown and so was mine.

She would tell me stories of people who would hunt us down for being Uzumaki, She would also tell me stories about our homeland. She would also speak about Konoha our sister village.

She said Lady Kushina was there, she told me the reason we didn't live there was because the war was brewing again and that papa could never return their since he had abandoned the village during the last war.

I wanted to visit Konoha but I didn't want to leave papa behind so I was happy where we lived in a town in the land of iron country. We were close to the land of fire but not too close, it was still a few thousand miles away from us.

My mama and I were making a garden, mama was explaining how the plants grew and how we were going to get the fruit.

I listened with a small smile on my face. 'the pollen is was causes the fruits to grow, pollen and the fruit is surrounding the seed which is where the new plant will grow from.' I thought in my head as mama explained how the dirt and water was its nutrients.

'Photosynthesis, the sun makes the plant cells create the sugars in the cells that cause the plant to have nutrients.' I thought to myself as I looked up to the sky. 'like solar panels.' I thought to myself.

"Are you listening Mizuko-chan?" My mama asked and I looked at her and nodded. "Yes, ma'am I was."I replied and she smiled slightly. "You seem to always be daydreaming. "She sighed and looked back at the seed she was planting.

"We will water it every day and soon we will have plants growing." She smiled as she moved on to planting the next seed. I nodded and stared at the ground where mama had planted the seed.

'It's going to sprout soon' I thought to myself as I dug my hands into the dirt. I pushed chakra to my fingertips and smiled as I felt the sensation of the chakra in the ground. I spread my chakra out and closed my eyes as I enjoyed the cool earthy feeling.

I could feel the chakra inside of the seed and I started prodding at it and feeling it. 'Once the seed sprouts, it will have cells. What are cells made of? Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. But what else?' I tried to remember. Where had I learned this? Mama probably taught me a long time ago and I forgot. But what were the other cell parts called?

I felt the seed sapping a bit of my chakra as I was trying to remember. My brain did that sometimes, I would remember things and I couldn't remember when it happened or where I had learned it. A feeling of fuzzy memories, there was a word for it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. what was it... deja vu I think? It was french... what was french anyway.

"Mei, Mei, Mei MIZUKO." I felt a hand on my shoulder slightly pull me back and I opened my eyes and looked up to see my mama.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at my hands. I looked down to see the plant had already sprouted and was starting to get blossoms. "Look, mama, the seed grew." I say in awe as I looked down at the plant.

My mother didn't say anything and picked me up leaving behind our gardening supplies.

"Mama. What's wrong?" I asked as I felt her chakra buzz in anxiousness. " Nothing, I am not feeling well honey, it might be the heat. Let's go inside. " She smiled anxiously.

We were inside and my mama was restless. I was practicing my calligraphy. Was something wrong? Had I done something wrong? Did mama not like the plant?

When Papa arrived I greeted him with a hug. "How was the store?" I asked and he smiled. "As boring as ever my little raindrop." He smiled kissing my cheeks making me giggle. "Welcome home honey. " Mama smiled and kissed his cheek. "Why don't you go set the table and serve your papa a nice cup of water okay?" Mama asked and I nodded.

"Mizuko, you must never tell anyone you can do that." Papa stated and I frowned. "Why?" I asked confused. "The same reason you must never let anyone know you are an Uzumaki, baby. Not many people can make plants grow like that and if anybody found out they will try to take you away. " Mama stated

"What is it?" I asked confused. "It's a kekkei Genkai." Papa stated and my eyes widened as I looked at my hands. "Like mama's chains and green chakra?" I asked and mama nodded. "Yes, like the chains and my healing chakra. You have them too. remember we are not protected by a village so if you practice you have to be in the safe room."Papa stated and I nodded.

I was already training both abilities, but mama refused to bite me to use the healing chakra so she taught me how to coat my skin with it and heal small cuts.

"We could start a flower shop in the store, give her good practice." Papa stated and my mama glanced at him. "That would be fine." She nodded

I was smiling. "Mama, when will the cake be ready?" I asked and she chuckled. "Soon, now go and have a seat. I can't bake if you are running around." She stated and I giggled

"I am seven years old now mama. What do you think Papa is gonna get me?" I asked and she chuckled.

"We will know when he gets home. Now take a seat little raindrop." She smiled and I huffed. "I'm a big raindrop now mama, I am seven!" I huffed and held up my fingers. She grinned "Okay big raindrop, make sure to settle down."

She finished baking the cake and we waited for papa, I was near the door waiting. Mama was cleaning her kitchen. I heard footsteps and I rushed to the door. "Papa! " I squealed as the door slammed open and a few men stormed into the house.

They had headbands on it was like a zigzag pattern, My smile faltered as they looked at me. "Mama!" I screamed as they grabbed me. I heard a crash. "Mizuko!" I heard my mother scream my name.

I struggled in their grasp. 'Kidnap, They are kidnapping us, they found us!' Dread filled the pit of my stomach as I bit them and tried to getaway. They dragged me out of the house and as I struggled I saw a body laying on the ground. Brown hair and light Hazel eyes that felt comforting and safe felt cold and no warm earth chakra was present either. I screamed kicking and trying to get out of their grasp.

'Father was murdered.'

I struggled more and I heard a fire crackling, I glance to see my home was on fire. I start to breathe heavy in fear. I turn to see my mama unconscious and beaten she was being carried by a man and another man trying to tend to the wounds he had and had my mama's kitchen knife in his gut.

Suddenly the world went dark

Finally, the story begins now. Everything leads us to this moment where her normal civilian life ends.

BTW she is not going to wake up knowing that she had once been mei. The older she gets the less she remembers but those tidbits of knowledge she remembers will help her out.

The story after this gets a lot darker so look out for that.

Bye

rosymalik

rosyhatake


	3. Chapter Two: Big Girl

Mizuko POV _

When I opened my eyes I could see the light streaming in the room, I sat up quickly as all the memories of the day before came rushing back to me.

I winced as I felt my muscles ache from the struggle with the Shinobi. I looked around me and I noticed I was in a room, my mother was a few feet away her hands chained to the ground. Her red hair cascading down her shoulders and her eyes a puffy red.

"My little raindrop, you woke up." She tried to smile but her voice croaked slightly. "Mama, where are we? We have to go help papa. He was hurt." I say as I tried to get up but noticed that I had chains on my ankles.

"Shhh, It's okay my little raindrop, We are gonna be okay. " She stated as she crawled towards me and tried to reach for me but the chains didn't let her, I could see her struggling to reach me so I tried to move closer but I couldn't.

"What about Papa? Is he gonna help us?" I ask and I noticed how her chakra felt it was cold and static as if she was scared or maybe it was sad.

'He's dead, dead people don't come back.' I thought to myself as I brought my knees to my chest. "They killed him, mama, I saw it. I didn't feel him when I saw him." I say as I felt tears swell in my eyes as I picked at my chubby fingers.

"I know baby, But we are gonna be okay. Even without Daiki. Okay." She tried to sound reassuring.

'We are villageless, no one knows we are gone. No one will miss us or help us.' the voice in my head provided and I nodded slightly as my mother tried to soothe me.

"Where are we?" I asked as I looked around and wiped my tears.

My mother glanced around. "Kusa, Grass ninja kidnapped us. They must've found us and decided to bring us here." She stated and I nodded. "Like the Ninja village?" I asked and she nodded.

I looked around a bit more when I noticed a strand of red hair, So my hair color changing seal had been removed as well. "Do they know? That we are.." I left the rest unsaid and she nodded.

"Remember what I taught you raindrop. Even if they know we are Uzumaki they don't know anything else and it's best to keep it that way." She whispered and I nodded.

She didn't say anything and sat back as she looked at me and back at the door. She began to hum softly and I laid on the ground and tried to think of what had happened.

I couldn't stop my mind from wondering, was there anything that we could have done differently. How did they find us? How did they know my mother and I were Uzumaki? What were they going to do to us?

I closed my eyes and listened to my mothers soft voice, I wish I was home with both my mama and papa, I want to be in papa's arms as he gives me kisses and for him to teach me how to be a ninja and tell me stories of his missions when he had been a shinobi.

The door suddenly opened and I looked up to see a few Kusa Ninja, they quickly went to my mother grabbing her roughly as she tried to fight them off. "Leave my mama alone!" I yell as I got up only for one of them to push me back.

"Let go!" My mama screamed as she tried to use the chain on her wrists to wrap around one of their necks to choke them. She thrashed as they tried to hold her hands down.

"Knock her out dammit!" One of them hisses as they placed a cloth on her face and she stopped struggling her eyes rolling back as she slumped.

"Mama! Mama! Let her go! What did you do to her!" I yelled as I tried to get back up only to be backhanded and sent crashing to the hard floor.

I could see black dots in my vision as my head hit the floor. 'get up, if you pass out now you won't wake up!' I tried to take deep breaths and get up. My hands trembled and suddenly it was dark again.

I woke up to the sound of crying, I look around me and notice that the room was dark. There was a tray near me with some food on it and a water cup. I slowly got up as a wave of dizziness hit me.

"Mama?" I croak out and the crying got louder I sat up and noticed my mother on the floor sobbing her feet wrapped tightly in bandages.

"Mama, It's okay. Don't cry. We gonna be okay." I whimper out I could feel the fear building up in my chest as my mother flinched away.

"Mama?" I whimper out as I could see that her face looked dark and lumpy.

"It's okay mama. If they come back I'll make sure they don't hurt you. But please don't cry, mama." I whimper out as I got as close as my ankle chains would let me.

"No, you behave! You hear me." She hissed out turning to me. I flinch back as I saw the dark bruising on her face and my chest felt heavy with sadness in seeing her hurt like this.

"Now, Q-quiet down. Eat. Y-you need your strength." She tried to sound tough but her voice was cracking and her body was still shaking. I quietly pull my tray closer to me and began eating the cold food.

"What happened mama?" I ask and she didn't respond, she sat quietly huddled into her corner of the room.

I didn't say anything else. I couldn't help but stare at her feet. They looked weird, smaller in away. Like small little dolls feet. 'are her feet bound?' I didn't say anything as I curled up against the wall. I could still hear my mothers whimpering and soft sniffles but I acted like I didn't.

A few days had passed. They had brought us to a small room. There were two beds and a few books to read. My mother sat in her bed nearly all day resting and doctors had come to take her away a few times. She was unusually quiet and would barely look at me. I could tell she was not sleeping and it worried me.

They had broken her feet so that she would not run away. We had tried to heal them but they were bound tightly and she was unable to take the bindings off.

I had cried when I had seen what they had done to her. I could also tell that every time she returned she would come back worse. Her chakra no longer buzzed happily and she did not want to be touched.

I tried to avoid any skin contact but it was hard. I wanted to hug her and feel safe in her arms but she seemed to drift further away.

I would try to get her to tell me stories of our homeland but she wouldn't hear me and would simply stare off and occasionally glance at me with a glazed look in her eyes.

She did not eat either. The doctors and a few shinobi had already started to come in and force-feed her to make sure she didn't starve herself. I didn't know what to do or how to help her. So I stayed at her bedside and sang her songs she had taught me. Sometimes a spark of recognition appeared in her eyes but it would soon vanish and she once again became lifeless.

They were doing something to her and I wanted to know what it was. But I was too scared to ask.

I woke up to screaming.

"Get off!" My mother yelled I could hear the creaking of the bed and I slowly peaked from under the covers.

I could see a dark figure over my mother. A man holding her down as he was on top of her. I could see her struggle and try to hit him but he had his hand around her neck and seemed to be choking her. I could hear his heavy breathing as he mumbled her name and she shrilled and sobbed.

I was shaking. 'Non-Consensual, rape, suffer, sadness, help her.' I couldn't help but realize what was happening. How could I help her? I tried to muster the courage to get up but I could feel the fear that seemed to roll off her as she screamed and fought back.

"Leave my mama al-" My body shook as I felt his killing intent and I stared at the man in horror as he looked up at me. I recoiled as I could hear her screaming get louder.

"Shut it brat, All you Uzumaki women are good for is a good fuck." He hissed out and I started to cry. I was scared, so scared. I could feel a warm liquid run down on my leg as I emptied my bladder on myself.

"Leave her alone!" My mother screamed but I could barely hear her over my sobbing. I wanted my father's soft warm chakra and my mothers calm one as well.

I wanted to go home, I was scared and tired of being here. I wanted to wake up and be back in my futon back at home and for this to all be a nightmare.

I could hear yelling and screaming before I felt something hit me and my head hit the headboard of the bed and I cried louder as my hair was yanked back.

I was scared, my body shook in fear and I could feel myself lose consciousness as his chakra flared more. I could feel the hatred and intent. He was not a good person and I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. I hated his chakra.

I slowly opened my eyes to see my mother punch him and try to fight him even with her injured feet. I felt her cradle me and protect me as I cried loudly.

There was a loud slam and the room went silent, I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to see my mother's concern face as she held me close. Tears streamed down her face and she began to cry as she held me close.

The next day they cleaned the room while we were eating breakfast and then took us to take a bath. I was silent. I could feel my eyes sting from crying and I felt upset and scared. I couldn't help but flinch when a man approached us and my mother had to practically crawl.

They had bound her feet, she would be able to walk. But she would be unable to run away or fight. While we were bathing I noticed she had gained some weight and that her stomach was a bit round. I didn't say anything. I just stayed silent.

Nothing had been the same since we had been brought here. Mother was no longer bright and lively. She was distant and seemed to be broken. It had taken me a while to realize that I was also broken.

Some day we would escape. I would find a way to leave this hell hole and I would run away to Konoha. There, Lady Kushina would protect us and we would never be approached by another man again. It would just be Mama, Lady Kushina and me. We would live in the Mask temple and put wards all around to make sure no one ever hurt us again.

I couldn't help the smile on my face as I thought that. We would be safe from Kusa there.

Days blended together, Mother was now talking again. She would tell me about our home and at night when we were all alone she would let me see the Uzumaki Scrolls and quietly taught me. It was the only time light returned to her eyes. I had also noticed she would not look into mirrors or herself. She never even spoke of the bump on her stomach or how the doctors would check on her.

They would call us the Uzumaki women and look at us with a look of indifference. We didn't say more than needed when they spoke to us.

I barely spoke and I would always whisper since I would only want my mother to hear me. I had also found that I could not make eye contact with people and seemed to always try and make myself small.

I would sometimes find myself staring out of the window and daydreaming about the happier times. Or when we were around the Kusa people I daydream of being a strong kunoichi and fighting them.

In my daydreams, I would kill them and sweep my mother off her feet and take her far from here.

We would go to Konoha which would be a big village, even bigger than where I had grown up in and there would be massive Hashirama trees and I would take her to the Mask Temple. Lady Kushina would always be there waiting for us. She probably is dressed like a priestess. Since she lived in the temple and she would heal mama's feet and she would protect us from all of the scary men.

Maybe there was more Uzumaki in Konoha as well and we would be surrounded by our red-haired kin and I would no longer be afraid.

I couldn't help the smile on my face as I thought of how happy we would be there in the land of fire before I was brought back to reality.

My mother had asked for them to give us some ink and paper so she could teach me how to read and write. They had laughed saying that who in their right mind would give an Uzumaki Ink and paper? That was our main choice of weapon as our clan were seal masters.

My mother and I used dusty surfaces, sand and sometimes blood to work on new seals. My mother was trying to find a way to escape but she couldn't think of a way to escape an entire ninja village especially with her injured feet.

If only they had not crippled her she could have made some blood seals and we could have escaped. But we would have to cross entire countries and that would be thousands of miles. And in civilian speed that could take months.

As time went by I noticed my mothers stomach had grown bigger and bigger. Something was nagging at me. I knew what was happening but for some reason, I could not quite remember what it was called.

I was always taking care of her as well. Following her orders, since she could not move around as easily anymore, I could not remember how long we had been here but maybe someday we could leave this place.

"We will be taking you to the hospital, you will be kept there since you could be due at any moment now. Judging by the dates the child should be arriving soon." A doctor stated and my mother looked at him with an emotionless expression.

She didn't say anything and looked away from him. "Can I go? I have to stay with her to make sure she is okay." I say softly and the man turned to me and I flinched as I looked down trying not to make eye contact.

"No, you will be staying here. Once she is healed she will return." The man stated as few nurses helped my mother in a wheelchair and they left me alone.

That night I hid under the covers in fear. I was scared one of those men would come in and hurt me like they did to mama, it had been a few weeks since they last came in But that did not mean I was not scared.

The routine stayed the same and before I knew it a few days passed. I would find myself laying near the door watching as people walked by and waiting for my mama. Whenever someone stood in front of the door I would get up and run to the furthest corner of the room. They would usually bring food or come pick up the empty food tray.

They never spoke to me and I never spoke with them.

I waited at the door when I saw a wheelchair. I pulled away from the door and hid behind one of the beds as my mother was rolled in, She was skinnier and a doctor was holding a small bundle in his arms. They helped her on her bed and set the baby on her lap.

"We will be back with supplies for the infant." and with that, they left. As soon as the door closed I rushed to her side.

"Mama, Is that a baby?" I asked with wide eyes as I got a closer look at it. It was pink with flushed cheeks, it had strands of soft red hair and it was quietly sleeping. My mother pushed it aside making the small bundle fall off her lap and nearly off the bed as she laid down and curled into her self.

I quickly caught the small infant before it fell and picked it up gently as the baby started to cry.

"Shut that thing up." My mother screamed in anger as she turned furiously trying to hit the small baby and I pulled away holding the infant close to my chest.

As her eyes landed on me her gaze soften. "Mama, Can I have it?" I asked as I rocked the crying baby in my arms. She glared at the baby. "Kill it for all I care. Just make sure it is quiet and that it leaves me alone." She hissed and I nodded as I took the baby away and hid behind my bed and looked at the baby.

"Hi, I'm Mizuko." I whispered softly as I rocked the baby softly. I felt a warmth in my chest as I looked at the baby. It was quiet and didn't say anything back but I smiled. I liked the baby. Her chakra felt like mama's and it was soft and warm. Like sparkling soda water and as sweet as cotton candy.

"Mama, Does it have a name?" I asked as I looked over my bed. "No." She responded. "Can I name it?" I asked and she grunted. "Okay!" I smiled. It was like having my very own live baby doll.

I slowly unwrapped the baby and checked it's diaper to see if it was a boy or girl. "You're a girl, so I'll name you... Karin... Karin Uzumaki." I smiled gently.

As days went by I barely slept. Mother did not like Karin. When she cried she would throw things at her and would get angry. I could tell by how her chakra boiled in anger. I had asked the doctor to teach me how to make her baby bottle and change her diapers. He had looked confused and I explained that mama could not do much since she was in pain from her feet and I wanted to make sure Karin was well.

He didn't ask any other questions and explained to me how to make her bottle.

'make sure to burp her, babies get fussy when they are filled with gas. watch her neck, babies don't have much neck support.'

'Make sure she doesn't scratch herself, they have bad motor skills as infants.'

I would suddenly think of ways to better take care of her. I am sure mama once taught them to me. It felt like I had already done this before but I couldn't remember when. Maybe it was because I hadn't slept much that I could not remember.

I would sleep with Karin and spend most of my time with her. I was always carrying her and I would sing her songs of the Uzumaki clan. Mother enjoyed hearing me sing and she would relax but she never touched Karin or approached her. She wanted her to be as far away from her as possible. But that was okay because Karin was my baby.

'she will start teething soon, she will get fevers and be sick. '

'when you bathe her make sure no water gets in her ears. It will cause an ear infection.'

'At 3-4 months she will need to start eating.'

'Make sure to keep her hydrated.'

'Don't touch her with dirty hands you will make her sick.'

'Make sure she is warm, she is smaller and can't make much body heat'

"She needs to get her shots."The doctor stated trying to take Karin away from me. "Don't touch her! She is mine!" I scream as I bit his hand and he yanked it back and hit me. I made sure to hold onto her tightly as I glared at him.

I ignored the pain from where he had hit me.

"Now Mizuko, give me the baby." He threatened and I growled at him.

"She is mine, mama gave her to me." I hissed out. The man looked up at my mother who was glaring at him.

"Little raindrop give him the brat." She stated and glanced at me. "Mama, Karin is mine. What if he takes her away and doesn't return her." I whimper out but her glare hardened.

"Mizuko." She hissed out and I relented. "You bring her back. Okay." I tell him as I glared at him. I looked at the baby. "Karin behave okay. And don't worry, I'll be waiting for you." I say as I kissed the top of her head and gave her to him. I could feel tears swell in my eyes.

He stood up and left with the small bundle in his hands. "Come here Mizuko." Mother called out and I walked toward her.

"Now listen to me, I don't want you to put yourself in danger fighting the doctors. Especially for that thing. Is that understood?" She asked as she looked down at me, a stern look on her face.

"But mama-" "No but's if you misbehave they will punish you, You have seen what they have done to me. If they were to hurt you because you were trying to help that thing, I don't know what I would do." She stated as she caressed my face.

'She hates karin. She doesn't care what happens to my baby.'

"okay, mama." I say looking down trying to avoid her gaze. "Good, Now come here." She lifted me up and pulled me close to her. I laid my head on her lap. I could feel her fingers running through my hair. I relaxed as I looked toward the door waiting for the Doctor to bring back Karin.

It took a few hours and I had fallen asleep at some point, when I had woken up I felt well-rested something that I had not felt in a long time.

I slowly got up and crawled out of bed. I made sure I didn't wake up my mama since she was asleep as well. I crouched down and looked beneath the door trying to see if I could see the doctor return with Karin-chan.

I could see people walking through the hall. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of building we were in. Maybe it was the hospital, there were doctors here and Shinobi. There was also no way for us to open the door from the inside and although there were windows here we were around three stories up.

Also we never really needed to cook or clean since we would have people come in and clean the room or come in with our meals prepared.

I noticed someone had arrived and I perked up when the door opened. It was the doctor that had taken Karin. He noticed that I had been waiting for him.

"Give her back!" I exclaim as I stood up and he gave me an odd look. "Be careful with her legs, That is where we placed the shots." He stated and I nodded.

"Is she healthy?" I asked him as I gently rocked her. "She is, she gained a few pounds and is a bit longer. She is a healthy baby." He stated and I smiled. "Good." I say with a smile as I carried her away. I glance back and notice my mother had woken up.

My cheeks flushed slightly at her disapproving gaze as I hid behind the bed with Karin in hand.

"Told you I would wait for you." I whisper to her as I held her close. I had piled all of my blankets and pillows in the corner against my bed where my mother could not see us so I could keep little Karin-chan safe.

Before I knew it they were bringing small cups of baby food in as well. They said Karin was old enough to start eating. She could also start trying to learn how to sit up. I made sure to use towels to keep her seated upright and although she did tip over a few times I was able to catch her most times. Mother still became very agitated whenever Karin cried.

But she was no longer trying to hurt Karin and I was happy. But she still did not want to be anywhere near her which made me sad but I didn't comment on it.

"She does not have to eat much, her body is just learning how to digest food. She still needs to drink her milk. Also, she will start learning how to roll so make sure to watch her." One of the nurses instructed me and I nodded as I paid close attention.

Sometimes nurses taught me ways to better care for Karin. And since there was not much I could do other than play with Karin or read the books that were given to us which were poems and storybooks that were interesting but got boring sometimes.

"And when will she start teething, will you be bringing teething toys for her?" I asked and the nurse nodded. "Yes, we will. If you want... I can take you and Karin-chan to go pick some out." She smiled softly at me and I nodded.

"I'll be right back, Let me ask permission first okay?" She quickly left the room. I felt nervous, We hadn't really left the room since we had arrived. Well, at least I hadn't. Mother had and it seemed she had a bad experience.

I waited nervously, Karin was on my hip playing with her chubby hands and pulling on my hair as well. The nurse came back and had a smile on her face.

"They said you can come out as long as I watch over you and Karin-chan so c'mon." She started leading me out of the room. "Where are you taking her!?" My mother called out as she got up from the bed dropping the book she had been reading.

"I will be taking Mizuko and Karin out for a walk. We will be back." The nurse seemed to lose her smile as she spoke with mother. I could feel mothers anxiousness as she looked at me.

"I'll be okay mama." I say with a small frown. "Mizuko, you are not going out. You hear me." She started to get up walking gingerly on her feet. "I want to go out. I'll be back in a bit. let's go." I say frowning as I tried to rush the nurse. She opened the door and led me out.

"Mizuko!" I heard my mother yell as the nurse closed the door. I looked around an noticed we were in a hall. "Where are we?" I asked softly as I grabbed the nurses skirt. "You have a wing here at the hospital." She stated as she led me down the hall.

The hall was pretty empty except for some other nurses that were walking by. "So where are we going?" I asked as she led me down a flight of stairs."You'll see." I looked at all the people around me. We walked down another hall and she opened the door.

There were other nurses and other smaller children. "We can pick some toys for little Karin-chan" I looked around and noticed that there were baby supplies here. This must be where they keep the baby formula, diapers, and clothes. I grabbed one and held it out to Karin.

"Do you like it?" I asked her as she grabbed the toy with her chubby hands. I smiled as she held it in her hand.

She turned and gave me a gummy smile. I couldn't help but smile at her. She had mother's red-colored eyes and bright red hair. Although she was a bit paler than both mother and me. "She likes it. Can I take a few of them back to our room?" I asked and the nurse nodded.

Some of the nurses were looking at us. As I was looking at the toys one of the doctors that usually took care of mother, karin and I walked up to her. They were talking in low whispers.

"She is different, Unlike Rumi, she is a good mother. If only she was a few years older we could place her in the same reproduction program as her mother." he grumbled crossing his arms.

"She is still far too young, She is going to be eight soon." The nurse whispered back with a frown. "They want her reproducing as soon as she is able to. Good maternal instincts, good genes. we have a few potential matches for her as well. Strengthen her bloodlines and strengthen our village as well." He grumbled. I glanced over slightly as I heard them speak.

"When she's 12-13 we will get her started. The younger we start her the more we can get out of her. Her mother is already nearing her early forties. We have to get the most we can out of her before she hits menopause. But Mizuko has both Senju and Uzumaki in her. She isn't full-blooded like her mother but we suspect that since the Senju were related to the Uzumaki it won't make much of a difference. Her offspring would make great Ninja." The Doctor stated as he sighed.

" I think I have all the toys we need."I say to the nurse as I tugged on her skirt.

I had heard most of the conversation and the way they spoke and the things they said. I couldn't help but feel fear bubble in the pit of my stomach. Whatever they were planning would not be good.

I was back in the room where my mother was sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for me to come back. I gave her a bright smile when I returned.

"I'm back and guess what we got new books and toys to play with." I smiled gently and I could feel the relief coming from her. I wanted to tell her about what I overheard but something told me not to. There was nothing she could do to prevent what they were planning and she was stressed enough already.

"Mizuko, Do not do that again. Do you understand? It is dangerous out there with them. Kami knows what they are planning to do with you. They aren't good people." She spoke quickly as she placed her hands on my shoulders.

"It's an okay mama. I don't think anything will happen but I will try to be careful." I say to her in a low whisper. She looked at me and her gaze soften. "Mizuko, I know you want to walk around but it isn't safe. Okay, baby." She kissed the top of my head and I let out a sigh.

Mother had been taken nearly every night. She would spend nearly all day sleeping so I had to make sure Karin was quiet. She didn't make a lot of noise because I was always making sure her diaper was clean. That she was fed, her toys were cleaned every day so that they would be safe for her to chew on.

Where ever mother had been taken, it was not good. I could see the bruises on her wrists and neck. Like if someone had been choking her. And when we went to bathe she had bruises on her thighs and chest, bite marks as well.

Sometimes when she managed the courage to walk she would limp slightly. The doctor and nurses assured me that everything was fine when I asked them to check on her to see if it was anything too serious.

She sometimes cried but not as much as before. She had been getting better but she was back to staring off into space and disassociating. I worried for her, but at least now she left karin-chan alone.

Also at night, I had taken to getting into the Uzumaki scrolls. I want to create a seal so that I can always track down Karin. It will be so that Kusa can never steal her from me. Mother was right, nobody here had our best interest in mind.

They all wanted us for something, I was not sure for what. But they would keep us here and alive. I had also overheard that they were planning on moving us to a house. One where we could have a semblance of a normal life while still being told what to do by them. They said something about making the breeding easier. But I was not sure what that meant. I had never heard that word before.

Karin giggled and stuffed her toy in her mouth as she chewed it. I glanced over at my mother's sleeping figure and stared at her for a while. I was pretty sure she was awake. If she didn't eat the food they brought her they were going to force-feed her. I glanced at the tray of food on her nightstand and turned back to karin, She was nearly seven months old.

At this point, she no longer woke up every two hours. She would sleep soundly through the night and sometimes all the way till the afternoon. She now ate fruits that were brought in alongside Rumi's and my food.

Mother was less and less present. I noticed that once again her stomach was round and bulging. I made sure to stay close to her and tried to always make her feel better but with her mood swings, karin was getting the bitter end of things.

Karin was terrified of mother. I had an odd feeling that Karin was also a chakra sensor and very chakra sensitive. She would flinch away from her and never made eye contact. She would stifle her cries when mother spoke to her and always hid behind me. She also stayed far from mother.

I could feel the ill emotions that came from mother whenever she looked at Karin and I could see why she was afraid. It made me very sad that mother hated Karin so much, she was an Uzumaki like us, so I could not understand why she hated her so much.

"Rumi, we will be taking you into another hospital room. You should be ready to give birth at any moment and we need to make sure we are prepared for it. " The doctor stated and my mother grunted as she slowly got up from her bed. She teetered to the wheelchair they provided for her and she took a seat.

"Mizuko, you will be given another child soon. So we will be bringing in more infant supplies." The man stated and I slowly nodded.

I looked over at karin who was quietly clinging on to my overalls " You heard that Karin-chan you are gettinga new sibling." I smile at her and Karin just blinked at me.

It took a few days before the baby was brought in. He was small. Unlike Karin who had silky soft red hair, He had hair that was in tight small curls, it almost looked fuzzy. He had a small button nose and slanted eyes. He was almost my skin tone and a bit darker than Karin.

Karin looked at the small baby and blinked. "Baby, This is your baby brother." I smile at her and she patted his stomach and stared at him in wonder.

"What will you be naming this one?" The nurse asked as she handed him over to me. "His hair is just as red as ours. He is really cute. Ryuu, Like a dragon spirit." I smile as I held him close to my chest.

His chakra felt like it moved around him quickly. It felt like a distant thunderstorm over a massive ocean of chakra. I had never felt chakra like this before. I memorized it and nodded. "Ryuu Uzumaki. My new baby." I smile as I carried him away from the nurse.

Mother had been unbearable. To the point, they had taken her away and not let her return. I don't think she liked Ryuu much. They called it Postpartum Depression, Said that she was not okay.

I was worried for her. They were also taking us somewhere else. I was currently carrying Ryuu and Karin was holding the hem of my shirt. I was looking around in awe. We were outside of the Hospital and in Kusa. The village was rowdy and bigger than my last village.

We arrived at an isolated place, It was a small home with two bedrooms. One was a large master bedroom with a really big futon. The other room was smaller and had a smaller bed.

"This will be your room. You will share it with your children." The Kusa Kunochi stated. For some reason, I could feelher chakra buzz sadly inside her as she looked at me.

"Wow. Look Karin-chan. Our new home." I pointed at it and rushed forward gently laying Ryuu down as I climbed in the big futon.

Karin got on as well and smiled as she nuzzled into it. "Mama, Soft." She whispered out and I turned and smiled at her. "Yeah, It is. Isn't it?" I say getting up and picking ryuu up.

"I'll show you the bathroom and the kitchen." The woman stated and I nodded as she showed me the house and I smiled happily. It was almost like we would have a chance to be like before. Maybe Mama would start cooking again and we would play in the house and smile with... Oh yeah... Papa was dead. Mama wasn't happy either. She was meaner and acted weird.

'Things will never be the same. Grow up. You're a mother now.' I glanced at Karin who followed behind me and I frowned. I was no longer small. I was big now. I wish I had stayed small.

So I have to go back and edit it but I guess I will just update.

I am really excited about this book hence the back to back updates. Not all updates will be like this.

rosymalik


	4. Chapter Three: Mine

Mizuko POV_

The house was quiet, It was different than when we were at the hospital wing. I liked it, There was a lack of chakra signatures but I could sense a few shinobi watching us from afar.

I smiled as I stirred the pot of hot food. I had managed to cook soup, I had added vegetables to it. I glance down at Karin who was sitting on the floor playing with a toy.

"We are gonna eat soon okay, Karin-chan." I smile as I looked at her. "Okay mama." she replied as she looked back down at her toy.

I adjusted the wrap on my shoulder as I glanced back to see little ryuu sleeping silently. I had used a long cloth to wrap him on my back so that I could cook, clean and take care of little karin since she still needed a lot of attention.

I let the soup simmer for a bit as I took out two bowls and served some soup for both of us. "Here I will blow on your food so it doesn't burn you. Okay." I smile as I set our bowls down on the small table.

Karin sat down and looked at the soup."Mmmm yummy." She pointed at it and I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, It is. But you have to wait it's still hot." I say as I stir her soup and blew on it.

She blinked and smiled toward me. I blew on the spoon filled with soup. " Say 'Ah' Karin-chan" I smiled and she opened her mouth wide as she ate it.

I continued to spoon-feed her until she finished her bowl of food. I smile as she ran off to play with a few toys. I was about to start eating when Ryuu started to whimper and cry. I quietly stand up and make him his baby bottle making sure that his milk was nice and warm, I laid him down on his blanket and bottle-fed him with one hand and used my other hand to try and eat.

I was tired. Since we were no longer in the hospital they no longer came in and cleaned the room for us nor did they bring us food. They had simply left groceries in the kitchen for us and cleaning supplies in the cabinets.

It was like playing house but it wasn't fun. Also, I was missing mother, She had not been brought back yet. I had also been making a seal, one that would let me track Karin and Ryuu no matter where they were. I was planning on placing it on them but since I had no ink or brush I had to be patient and we were also still being watched.

At some point, I'm sure that they will start slipping. Using shinobi to guard two civilians was useless and over the time we had been here they had started to relax. When they would least expect it I would get us out of here. We were going to flee to the land of fire, But for now, I had to be patient and be the perfect little civilian girl.

It would be a lot easier if mother was here. She used to be a ninja, She would have been able to get us out of here. But with all they had done to her I doubt she would take the risks.

"Karin, time for a bath!" I called out as I noticed Ryuu sleeping. I carefully carried him to our room and laid him on the futon so he could sleep.

I heard Karin squeal and she was already waiting for me in the bathroom.

I quickly bathed her and dressed her up in her sleeping clothes. I made sure to get ready for the night and that I had all the bottles ready for when Ryuu woke up to eat. I also made sure I had the wipes and diapers nearby and left a lamp on so it wasn't dark.

I laid in bed and placed Ryuu a bit to the side so we would not roll over on him and Karin curled up to my side. "Night Karin." I smile. She grunted and quickly fell asleep.

Throughout the night I would wake up and checked on him. Since my time with Karin, I had become a light sleeper.

In the morning Karin was awake and would simply play with my hair as I tried to put a few more minutes of sleep in.

My body was exhausted since Ryuu was so small and demanded a lot of attention even throughout the night.

"Pee." Karin whined shaking my arm slightly and I sat up.

"Let's go to the bathroom honey." I say as I got up.

She crawled out of bed and I followed her to the restroom.

I helped her on the toilet and waited for her to use the restroom.

It didn't take long before her to finish and I helped her off and wipe. I then carried her to the sink and we washed our hands.

Since we were already in the bathroom I helped her brush her teeth before doing my own.

I cooked a light breakfast and then started cleaning the small house. I began by dusting and then started to sweep. Karin was playing quietly or following behind me trying to help and carrying the dustpan for me.

I had to take a lot of stops to care for Ryuu and then continued to make sure the house was clean from top to bottom.

I stopped long enough to cook lunch and then ate alongside Karin. I cleaned the table and washed the dishes before I went back to cleaning.

Ryuu was sleeping quietly against my back.

I heard the door open. "Hello?" I asked nervously.

I notice my mother alongside two kusa nin.

She was a bit pale and skinnier.

I smiled widely and ran towards her. "Mother. Your home!" I exclaimed happily as I looked at her.

She gave me a soft smile. "I'm much better my little raindrop." She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Careful with Ryuu-chan!" I exclaim as I pull away.

"Ryuu?" She pulls back and I nod as I slowly turn around and show her the small infant on my back.

She frowned and glanced over to see two kusa shinobi still in the room.

"Oh, I'll be more careful next time. " She frowned, although it did not look sincere I felt like she was hiding something.

"Come, I'll show you the house, you will have a room too. I made sure to keep it clean and dust-free." I smile as I gently took her hand.

Mother took small steps as she walked alongside me. I took her to the room and showed her the closet which was filled with clothes and then I showed her around the house.

"Why don't you bring your futon in my room for the night?" Mother asked glancing at me.

"Mama you need to relax and Ryuu-chan is still really small and needs for me to stay awake with him nearly the whole night. " I say frowning as I thought about it.

Mother did tend to get violent when karin cried as a baby and I fear that it will be the same as Ryuu.

"Once Ryuu-chan is older we can definitely all sleep together." I say and she frowned.

" They can stay in the other room, raindrop. I want it to only be us." She stated and I frowned.

"Karin doesn't like sleeping alone. Sometimes she wakes up and needs help using the bathroom. And Ryuu is way too small to be left unattended. So I can't do that." I say as I stop and look at her.

She didn't say anything and looked away.

Mother spent most of her time in her room. She would come out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

She didn't approach me, Karin or Ryuu as much.

Karin was terrified of her. She would always hide from her and did her best to stay out of her way. I could understand why. Mother hates her.

I had left Ryuu in the room as I scrubbed the tub to make sure it was clean. I had a cloth wrapped around my face so I wasn't breathing in the chemicals.

I sat up wiping my forehead and rinsing the tub when I heard the front door open.

"Hello?" I called out as I left the bathroom.

"Mama!" Karin squealed as she hid behind my legs as she looked at the people who had arrived.

"We are going to take Karin and Ryuu for a check-up." One of the men stated and I gave him a puzzled look.

"That's fine. How long will they be gone?" I asked them.

One of the men snickered and glared at me and I looked down to avoid their gaze. I could feel myself tremble in fear as I felt their cold chakra. "Because you know, Ryuu is so small he has to eat and I want to make sure he is fed. Karin hasn't eaten lunch either." I whimper out as I fiddled with my hands.

"The doctors will handle them, no need for you to be concerned." The shinobi stated and I gave a small nod not daring to say anything else. "I'll fetch Ryuu." I whimpered as I scampered off to my room. He was asleep on top of the Futon.

I picked him up gently and carried him to the Kusa ninja. "Here he is." I handed him to the man and he nodded. I notice that he had similar hair texture as Ryuu. It was very tight curls and very small as well but his was combed out unlike Ryuu. 'Ethnic hair.' I thought to myself.

"Karin-Chan, You'll be going to the doctor, they will take good care of you. Okay. So behave." I smiled at her and she whimper.

"No, Mama." She grabbed on my pants leg tightly. "Don't be like that Karin, you have to go with them okay. Take care of Ryuu-chan." I say and she looked up at me. One of the ninjas roughly grabbed her hand and started taking her away.

I followed them out the door and I could hear Karin start to cry.

It took less than a second but they vanished and I let out a sigh. I walk back inside the house and lay on the futon. While they are gone I'll catch up on some sleep.

I woke up later on the day when it was almost night time. I crawled out of the futon and left my room. The house smelled nice and I followed the scent to the kitchen. Mother was awake and humming as she cooked. A smile spread on my face as I watched her.

I missed this, being with my mother as she cooked in the kitchen. I walked out and quickly went to take a shower. After bathing I sat at the table and she served me some food. I ate happily, Her food was much better than mine and it had almost been years since I last ate her food.

"Mama, can you teach me how to cook?" I asked and she glanced at me, a small smile on her face. "Of course raindrop." She smiled softly as she patted my head gently.

I enjoyed the moments I had with her. Mother hadn't been the same since we were kidnapped and it was odd to see her so calm and collected and I had missed spending time with her like this. She had been gone for nearly two months after the birth and it made me happy to know that she was happy again, even if it was for a moment.

We finished eating and I was smiling as I helped her clean the kitchen. It was almost like we were back home and waiting for Father to come home from a busy day at the store.

"Mama, Can you also teach me how to make paper. Like the one we used to make for papa's store?" I asked and she froze. "I guess I can, I would hate for you to not know." She muttered and stopped smiling. I frowned but decided it would be best if I stayed quiet.

Mother finished cleaning and hurried out of the kitchen. She went to her room and shut the door. I didn't hear her afterward. I must've said something that upset her.

I sat in the living room waiting quietly and soon the front door open. Karin ran into the room and crashed against me holding me tightly and sniffling. "It's okay Karin-chan." I pat her head gently.

"He seems healthy but has a bit of an ear infection. These are the antibiotics that he will be taking every 8 hours. And these ear drops on his left ear every 12 hours." The ninja gave me a brown bag and I took it and then they handed me little Ryuu.

I sighed. " What am I going to do with you two." I sighed as I led them to the kitchen, I am sure Karin will love Mother's cooking.

It was late at night, There were no ninja nearby and it had taken me a while to prepare this. I had made some homemade ink from charcoal, blood and other ingredients I was able to find.

I had bathed the two kids and had them naked so that I could write the seals. I started with Ryuu, Since he was smaller and asleep I found it easy to draw the elaborate seal on his small body. Karin watched in fascination as she watched me work. I had a small brush that I had made with a stick, string and a few locks of my hair.

I worked quietly as I drew the seal on his body. I double-checked that everything was correct and right. His body was covered with the seal. I had already drawn the main seal on myself and the tracking seals would be on them.

I finished and carefully placed my hand on his stomach. "Fuin: Uzumaki Style, Seal of a thousand eyes." I whisper softly and watched as the seal compressed itself and to a small freckle on his right wrist.

I closed my eyes and activated my own seal and I could feel his seal on his body and smiled.

I quietly dressed him and moved to Karin.

She squirmed a little but I was able to get her to stay still. I carefully made sure to draw the seal on her body. "Fuin: Uzumaki Style, Seal of a thousand eyes." I whisper and the seal compressed. Karin stared at the seal compressing with wide eyes.

A small freckle on her right wrist was all that was left of the seal I had placed on her. I had used a combination of tracking and the compression storage seal mother had used for the clan secrets.

I concentrated again and I was able to feel both of their presences and I couldn't help the smile on my face.

"Now no one will steal you from me." I say as I pat Karin's head and she grinned at me.

It was happening again, Kusa Shinobi would take mother for a day or so and she would be brought back in near hysteria. She would curl up against her futon sobbing throughout the day. I made sure both Karin and Ryuu were far away from her.

It had gotten to the point where she would even lash out at me. I would wait at her door with her tray of food and would have to wait till she gave me permission to go in. I would bring her the tray of food and leave.

She had wanted to be alone and I was concerned. I had a gut feeling that if I didn't watch over her I would find her dead in her room, though the thought scared me I was sure to keep an eye on her.

Also, Ryuu was now three months and soon he would be four. I was starting to help him sit up and trying to feed him some soft mushy fruits. Unlike Karin, he was hyper and would wiggle and move around.

I had to watch him because he had a habit of rolling away. Karin was also like a little sponge and I had taken some of the Uzumaki scrolls from mother and sealed them on myself. I was starting to teach her the Uzumaki Sealing style. She was easily able to identify the shapes.

I had also started making paper in secret. The shinobi always were training and making sure we did not leave. But fortunately, they did not keep a close eye on us. They also did not want to deal with hearing mothers crying and screaming. She was rarely quiet and we had learned how to ignore it.

I had yet to try and teach Karin to write since she would not have the fine motor skills to do so. But I would make the paper so that when I did start teaching her she would be able to use it.

I had also started studying seals by myself. Mother was unable to teach me and I was pretty proficient so did not try to concern myself with the backlash of practicing without a seal master nearby.

Other than that the days seemed repetitive. I would wake up, cook, clean, take care of Karin and Ryuu, Cook, clean again, Study seals and sleep.

By now Ryuu was sleeping more and although he did get sick a few times I was able to handle it and the doctors quickly made sure that he was healthy.

Before I knew I noticed mother was gaining weight again. I think she was going to have another baby. This time she looked more sickly than when she had Karin or Ryuu. She was not eating and had a very small appetite.

I would always cook her favorite foods or what I thought was her favorite food, But once again she began to disassociate. I tried to put it out of my mind since there was not much I could do for her.

"Mama, Look." Karin held up her blue doll. "Baby." She pointed and I nodded. "Yeah, That's a baby." I say with a smile. She grinned and walked away. She held it up to Ryuu's face and he would grab the toys limbs with his chubby fingers and put them in his mouth. I sighed as I turned back to the bucket of soapy water I was using to clean the floor.

I was tired. I wanted to sit down and play. Maybe take a nap but it seemed nearly impossible at this point. I glance over at the two of them. Two hyper little Uzumaki's and I could not help but smile.

They honestly didn't look related. Karin had mothers round red eyes, Ryuu had brown slanted eyes. Their skin tones were very different, while karin seemed to have a pink undertone Ryuu had a yellow one. Their face shape was different as well. The only similarity was the bright red Uzumaki hair. but even the texture was different. While Karin had spiky straight hair, Ryuu had tight curls due to his more ethnic hair texture.

I was brought out of my musing when my mother called my name. "Coming, Mama!" I called out as I placed the rag in the bucket and placed it on the counter where Karin and Ryuu could not reach it. I quickly rinsed my hands and rushed to my mother's room.

Months passed. From what I was told mother was seven months pregnant. They had explained to me that pregnancy lasted 9 months and how to care for my mother throughout that time.

I tried my best and to help her but she was stubborn to the core. So she would rarely ask for my help. "Mizuko!!" I heard my mother scream and I woke up.

Still half asleep I stumble out of bed while avoiding Ryuu and Karin who were sprawled on the futon.

"Yes. Mama? " I opened her bedroom door. "Get the doctor, I think I am in labor." She hissed out. My eyes widened and I hurried out of the room. I did not bother to put on my shoes as I ran outside.

"Help! Help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I knew that there were shinobi nearby as I ran around the yard trying to see who would be the closest one to get help from.

"What is it brat?" I turned to see an older shinobi. He was a bit on the older side and had a few scars. "My mother, she is in labor. It's too soon though. She is only seven months." I respond in panic.

"Lead me to her." He replied with a frown and I nodded and I lead him back to our home. I started to lead him through the door to my mother's room.

"Don't touch me!" My mother screamed in panic as he approached her. "He is gonna help you, mama, he needs to take you to the hospital." I say softly as I tried to soothe her. She started to breathe harshly and panic and I tried my best to calm her down.

"Mama, what is happening?" I heard a soft voice and turned to see Karin. "Go back to the room Karin. I'll get you in a bit." I say to her as I was hit across the face by my panicking mother.

"Mama, Calm down. Breathe." I tried to coach her through it. I had nearly calmed her when the ninja pushed me back. "It's taking to long." He grumbled as he roughly grabbed her and started to carry her away.

"Careful!" I yell as I watched him take her out of the house. I could hear my mothers panicked screaming as he jumped away to take her to the hospital and I let out a shaky breath. "Is lady going, okay?" Karin asked as she grabbed the back of my pajama pants. "Yeah, I think she will be." I say with a sigh as I pat her head.

Shockingly Mother was back within two weeks. But there was no baby. Mother had once again secluded herself and was resting.

I was scared. What happened to the baby? Did they not make it? Did someone steal them from me? Where was my baby?

I tried to remain calm for Karin and Ryuu's sake. They were loud and would run around the house playing games. Karin was much faster than Ryuu since he still slightly waddled as he ran.

It had nearly been three months before they brought him. He was different than Karin and Ryuu. He had white hair and pale skin. His eyes were bright red like mothers but against his pale skin, they looked bright and gave it an almost unnatural color.

"Now Mizuko, This one is a bit more delicate than the other two. He is an albino, that means he needs to have more care than his other siblings." The man said as he handed me the small baby.

"His skin is very sensitive and lacks color or also known as pigmentation. He will not be able to tan and you need to make sure that he is always wearing sunscreen since he needs protection from the sun's rays." The man explained.

" You have to make sure you don't expose him too much to the sunlight because it might cause him to be nearsighted or farsighted. He was also born prematurely so he needs extra care. Make sure that everything around him is cleaned and sanitary." They stated as they pulled away.

"So what do you want to name him?" They asked as I looked at the small baby in my arms.

"Kenta, So that he grows healthy and strong. Just like his name." I say as I rocked him back and forth.

"Kenta, Good name. He will be a good Kusa Ninja." The man stated as he pulled away. I could not help that my grip on Kenta slightly tightened. My babies were never going to be Kusa Ninja. I would never allow that to happen.

With Kenta around it was a handful. Karin and Ryuu would play together all the time so I didn't have to be behind them at every moment. They did leave a mess though so I had to follow them around cleaning their messes.

As for Kenta, he was three months old so I was able to take care of him easier. But he was a fussier baby. He hated being put down, I always had to have him with me because otherwise, he would cry.

I think it was because of the lack of contact in the hospital. They don't know but we Uzumaki are very sensitive to chakra, They probably were very cold and uncaring to him and when he was introduced to my chakra he liked it so much he refuses to be separated from it.

It had gotten so bad that they were forced to take me with them when they all went for their check-ups. They also ran some tests on me as well. They were always whispering among themselves and it had made me very nervous so I was relieved when we were brought home.

Mother had also been moving around more. She was not as bad as when Ryuu was born and at times she would cook. But the children had to be playing outside for her to do that.

Everything was coming back together and I was happy. It was Karin, Ryuu, Kenta and me, We were together and happy.

I waited patiently and just as I had done to Karin and Ryuu I placed the Seal of a thousand eyes on him.

Karin was also getting better at naming the parts of a seal, she was going to be three soon and I was happy that she was growing up so quickly. Ryuu was nearly two and I had started trying to teach him about seals and how to speak.

They picked up seal work like a fish to water. I still wasn't teaching them how to write yet I would wait until they were at least four.

But we were progressing.

"Happy birthday, my little raindrop." Mother hugged me and I looked up at her confused.

"Honey. You're ten now." She smiled as she patted my head.

My eyes widened I was ten years old now? Where had the time gone?

"Wow.." I say as I look up at my mother. "I just wanted to congratulate you, it's been a tough few years but I want you to know that I love you very much, sweetheart." She kissed the top of my head and I could feel my chakra buzz in happiness and she kissed my head.

"Thanks, mama." I said as I leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

It was odd the days my mother acted like this and I was going to enjoy it.

"If only Daiki could see you, I'm sorry. I haven't been a good mom and I... I have no excuse." She started off tears streaming down her face.

She held me close and I could feel her familiar chakra engulf me and I smiled as I felt her ocean like chakra.

"Its okay mama. I know you haven't been okay." I say as I grabbed her hands.

She pulled back and looked at me for a second.

I open my arms and hug her once more letting her chakra engulf me. I froze for a second as I felt a small hot chakra inside of my mother's stomach. I was confused and pulled away. I looked at her for a moment.

Was she going to have another baby?

Small update but the story progresses!

Unedited

Rosymalik


	5. Chapter Four: Crippled Bird

Mizuko POV_

I tried not to think about mother's new pregnancy. Kenta was still very small at nearly five months old.

He was fussy and a bit lazy not wanting to eat much and not wanting to be left alone so I made sure to stay at his side. He was always wrapped around my back. I had wanted to start a garden but with his sensitive skin, I was uncomfortable with letting him go outside.

Karin and Ryuu, on the other hand, would spend their time running outside. I would sit at the porch with Kenta and watch over them.

Also, I had noticed that both of them had started to call me mama. I tried to correct them but they were as stubborn as all Uzumaki tend to be. As for mother, Karin called her Lady. I guess I never did teach her mothers name and mother was not very fond of any of them so they rarely addressed her.

Mother still asked for Karin to do things for her, but Karin would bring her what she would ask for before running off in fear. I guess all the cold shoulder treatment she got from mother left a long-lasting impression.

But mother wasn't even trying to fix it, she was uncaring about Karin and Ryuu. But she would tell me they weren't Uzumaki because they were Kusa bastards. I acted like I would listen but to me, they were my babies and I'm an Uzumaki so that means they are Uzumaki. Besides their chakra is so large so I am convinced that they are Uzumaki.

Not only that but technically they are my siblings since mother birthed them. But I never said that out loud. My mother would lose her mind if I said that.

"Mama, I hungry." Karin whined as I stood on a stool at the stove. "One moment Karin." I say with a sigh. I was exhausted. Ryuu had gotten sick with a cough and spent the whole night throwing up. I was tired from staying up. If he coughed he would choke on his spit then proceed to vomit. If I did not sit him up then he would choke on his own vomit and suffocate.

"Karin check on Ryuu, make sure he drank his juice bottle."I say ask I pull out three plates so we could eat.

Karin nodded and stood up to go to our bedroom. After eating I was going to hand wash the futon and covers so that they didn't all get sick. Currently, I had the windows open so that the room would air out.

I served the plate and placed it on the table. The doctors had given me the medicine and decided that I could take care of him. But I was so tired. Kenta already barely let me sleep and now with ryuu being sick. All that was missing was for both Karin and Kenta catching his cough. I shivered at the thought of that.

"Ryuu, come eat." I call out barely serving him some. He wasn't going to be hungry anyway.

They had brought me books so that Karin could learn how to read but she wasn't allowed to be taught how to write. They deemed it to be too dangerous.

To be honest they also thought that I could not write so that's why they didn't watch me as much. Mother was not allowed near pens, knives or anything that she could use as a weapon which was a lot of things. But she had been a ninja back in the day.

"Read it Karin-chan." I encourage her. "The... Girrl.. Runs. I Love to Run In T-he Rain." She read as she looked at the book and I smiled. "Good job Karin." I say. Ryuu was at her side trying to flip the page for her.

"I like book." She smiled as she held the book up to my face. She pointed at the colorful page. "Look." She smiled.

"Yeah! Isn't that great Karin-chan?" I asked as she set the book on her lap and looked at it.

"Write the letters, Karin." I say as she bit her lower lip and looked at the page intensely as she used the brush to write her kanji and practice her calligraphy for sealing.

"And you come here." I picked up Ryuu and began to teach him to read and distinguish the Kanji for basic seals.

Unlike Karin, Ryuu would identify the pieces of the seal and then get distracted.

It was hard to keep him sitting down. I figured it was because of his chakra. It moved quickly within him and cackled loudly like lightning. It buzzed inside him and although I could not hear it I could feel it.

"Ryuu, come here." I say standing up as I grab his hands. "Jump." I say as I lift him up a bit making him jump high.

He squealed and looked up at me excitedly. "Again?" I asked and he nodded. He jumped and I lifted him slightly again.

He continued to jump as he became excited. I smiled as I looked at him. His chakra buzzed happily and that made me happy as well.

"I want jump too." Karin mumbled and I turned to look at her. "Ryuu let's let Karin try." I say and he glanced at her and nodded.

Karin jumped up and ran towards us. She grabbed my hands and jumped. Although she was heavier I was still able to lift her up with the momentum. She squealed and continued to jump.

I tried to keep a smile on my face as my arms became tired. "Okay, no more. Go and finish your work karin." I say as she came to a stop and nodded.

I kissed the top of her head and let her go. Ryuu rushed towards me and jumped. This time I pulled him up and into my arms.

He quickly wrapped his legs around my torso and I held him in my arms and placed kisses on his cheeks.

"Okay now let's go work on seals again." I say with a grin and take him back to the table and sit him down.

"Now what is this called?" I asked him as I pointed to a part in the seal.

Kenta had been unbearable as he was crying at the top of his lungs, I was sitting on the porch so that we would not bother Mother. He was teething and currently had a bit of a fever. I had him on my lap and was rocking him back and forth.

"Mama, bedtime." Karin grumbled in annoyance as she waited by the door. "I'll go in a bit. Kenta isn't feeling too well and I am trying to calm him down." I say as I rock him while trying to ignore how he tugged on my hair.

"Mama, Sleep now." Karin crossed her arms and I sighed. "Karin-chan you won't be able to sleep if Kenta is crying." I say as I tried to give him his baby bottle. She huffed and walked back inside while closing the door.

I sighed and looked back down at Kenta. His cheeks were red from crying and he was squirming in my arms. I heard the door open and turned to see Karin dragging a blanket, pillow and sleepy Ryuu.

She closed the door and dragged her brother beside me. She sat down and placed the pillow beside me. Ryuu instantly laid down and used the blanket to cover himself. "I sleep with Mama." She pouted and I sighed. "That's fine." I say patting the top of her head. She laid down and started to fall asleep. I guess they got used to the crying and were too tired to stay awake despite how loud Kenta was crying.

I tried to rock him more and after almost an hour he managed to calm down enough to start dozing off.

Before I knew it even I was dozing off.

Kenta was still not crawling but he was now sitting up. He also started eating more and gaining some weight. He was also awake most of the time but still refused to not be carried around. I would wrap him tightly on my back and would play with Karin and Ryuu. They were a bit of troublemakers and they loved singing Uzumaki songs and learning the dances.

Mother would sometimes leave the door to her room open and watch us from afar. Those days she would sometimes talk to Karin or Ryuu. They were still scared of her but they were warming up to her. Other days she would close herself off and ignore them or give them the cold shoulder.

I could tell they had mixed feelings about her. But there was nothing I could do about that. I suspected Mother was around 2-3 months pregnant but I kept quiet about it. I just made sure she ate and did not seclude herself too much. She was also teaching me seals again. She grinned when I showed her my homemade brush and paper. She had started to make a few seals.

'We won't be here forever little raindrop. Just give me time and I'll get us out of here.' she'd say with a smile as she would work with her seals. I guess that is why she was in higher spirits,

She had told me that I was no longer a second level apprentice, I was now a fifth level intermediate. I was not a master but I guess going over the basics so much with Ryuu and Karin and my independent studies helped me a lot. There were Fifteen levels and Mother was at a level Eleven, so in a few years I would definitely catch up to her.

I could not help but become more excited and started studying even more. I would go to bed at 1 a.m and sleep all the way till the Afternoon. Thankfully since Karin, and Ryuu wanted to stay up with me most of the time they would also wake up late. Kenta, on the other hand, would wake up around 9 a.m and pull at my hair in the morning.

All I had to do was wake up, change his diaper, give him a small snack and a bottle and he would quietly play and let us all sleep in.

Because of this mother had also given me more scrolls and let me seal them onto myself for safekeeping. Also any sealing supplies I did have I was sure to seal them into a small compressed seal on the floorboards by my futon.

Being caught with ink or a brush would be the last thing we wanted. Karin was learning how to write and I had to try and teach her not to tell anyone. Somehow I had made her understand that there was an us and them. We Uzumaki had to stick together and protect each other.

Also, they weren't that kind to her either. They treated us all the same, so she was still scared of them.

A couple of more weeks passed and Kenta was still not crawling, as a matter of fact he would simply scoot around while sitting. At least he moved around, but the bottom of his pants were always dirty so I had taken to cleaning the floors daily.

They still brought food for us. If we wanted something specific I had to let them know beforehand and they would bring it. Since I could technically not write nor was I allowed to have paper.

I had tried to start a garden but my mother instantly shut that idea down. Reason being that if they found out I had wood-style it would be really bad.

I was somewhat proficient at it since Father and Mother had let me have my garden at home and sold the fruits and flowers that grew from it. There was also not much I could do in the house so I was constantly bored.

"Like this, okay you try Ryuu." I smile as I taught them the dances for the Mask temple back in Uzu.

Ryuu tried to copy what I was doing. Karin grinned. "No Like this Ryuu." She grinned as she showed him the moves again.

I began singing the song and they tried to copy my movements. Karin was doing better than little Ryuu.

We were having fun and laughing as we danced. Kenta was watching us and clapping as we tried to dance and sing.

I kept teaching them the steps and they were eager to try them. As I was dancing I noticed Mother standing at the edge of the room. "You three look great, It almost reminds me of when I was back in Uzu." She stated with a small smile on her face.

"Really?" I asked and she nodded. "To see Uzumaki children dancing and happy. It was something I never thought I'd see again." She answered as she looked at Karin, Ryuu, Kenta with a sad look.

My eyes widened at her comment and I looked at Ryuu, Karin, and Kenta. "They're Uzumaki too, Ain't they mama?" I asked and she glanced at me slightly and gave a short nod.

"They are, and maybe I have been a bit biased but they are my children. No matter how they were conceived." She mumbled as she fiddled with her hands slightly.

"Mizuko, promise me that they will never be loyal to Kusa." She spoke up suddenly as she glanced at me. I cocked a brow and looked up at her in confusion. "I know you have been trying hard to teach them our clan secrets. I know you have been studying as well. I will try my best to get you four out of here. And I know I have not been an ideal mother. But I really do care for you all. I want you to promise me that the Uzumaki will never share its secrets with Kusa." She stated and I nodded.

"They won't Mama, Because one day we will be in Konoha. With Lady Kushina at the mask temple." I say in a soft whisper. Mother smirked and nodded. "Stubborn to the core. Just like an Uzumaki. I promise you baby, we will get out of this hell hole alive." She grasped my hands and gave them a tight squeeze.

Mother had been getting better since then, although she was pregnant it did not stop her from being active. The kids were starting to warm up to her. They did not call her Mama or mother, they always called her Lady.

Mother had also started showing me more of the advanced art of the clan, The masks.

I had not understood why we even had a masked temple but as soon as she taught me about the masks I understood.

The masks were a medium, we could call the Shinigami and ask for a seal to be completed. We could also use them as mediums to bring back souls of fallen Uzumaki. Warriors, Priests, civilians, Seal masters could be brought back by the Uzumaki and used to fight or for teachings.

Depending on the mask they could be used for different things and in combination with seals, Mother said that the Priests and Priestess from the clan had used the masks to place souls back in fallen Uzumaki to fight in the invasion of Uzushiogakure. Hannya Masks were used to call upon the Shinigami. Oni to bring back fearsome Seal masters who had sealed a portion of their souls in the masks themselves.

Noh Masks had been used to bring back Priests or Priestess with much wisdom. These weren't as strong nor could they fight, they were there to teach and pass on the knowledge of our clan.

Tengu or Kappa masks could be used to bring back warriors and fighters of our clan. But it all depended and they were never meant to be used for seeing dead loved ones. The soul that was brought back were usually unable to speak much about the specifics before their passing or be kept up for too long. They were able to pass on their knowledge they accumulated over the years. They were only allowed a three-day pass to the world of the living per year.

Priest and Priestess were also one of the only ones that could use the masks since they knew how to keep bad spirits from trying to come back and would deal with the shinigami about the payment for bringing someone back.

Not only that but there were special rituals and dances that had to be performed as well. Mother had already taught me some of the more simpler ones. But she wanted to make sure that Karin, Ryuu and I knew more of them.

"I have some of the Masks, We could use them to escape." She'd say as she would watch us perform the small dances and sing the old tunes.

I made sure to remember everything. I studied all of the temple scrolls that my mother had given me as well.

She had also started to transfer most of the scrolls to my body. Saying that it was preparations just in case something went wrong.

I held the small bundle in my arms. Mother had another small baby, She had soft silky red hair and what seemed to be red eyes as well. Unlike Karin, Ryuu or Kenta her skin was an Umber tone, Like a dark yellow-brown color. She was also not as small as Kenta had been but she had been brought in a week after mother had given birth.

I smiled as I carried her around. Like Ryuu, her chakra cackled and snapped within her. Like lightning, Mother had told me it was a lightning affinity.

Since she was small I kept her wrapped on my chest. Kenta had been fussy and a bit jealous. I was a bit worried that he was not walking or crawling yet.

By his age, both Karin and Ryuu were trying their best to start learning how to run without falling. I had asked the doctors and they had said that he was healthy and that it might be that he is a bit lazier than the previous two.

It was very hard taking care of them. Karin was now speaking more and in full sentences, Ryuu was quickly copying his sister and Kenta only said, Mama and Lady.

Mother was still in the hospital and she had yet to return. But I am sure she would be back soon. I could easily handle taking care of all of the kids by now but I had a hard time keeping the house clean. I tried to send Karin and Ryuu out as much as possible and Karin was always happy to help me do the housework.

I would also leave her with Kenta and Ryuu in the house when I went out to do the laundry outside. The other issue was how much clothing seemed to pile up. I had to stop them from changing their clothes more than once a day and washing everyone's clothing was hard. Especially with little Nanami. She was a fussy baby and very energetic. Like Kenta, she had a set of lungs with her that would nearly wake everyone up at night. She would also cry so much sometimes that she would make herself spit up half her bottle. I had to keep her close since she seemed to always cause trouble.

Sadly that meant that I had to change her clothes often, I dressed her in Karin, Ryuu and Kenta's old clothes as well.

"Baby, loud." Ryuu complained as he covered his ears. I glanced at him and huffed. "Go play with Karin." I say as I tried to feed Nanami her baby bottle.

"Water." he said as he looked at me. "Karin! Can you serve your brother some water?" I called out. She walked into the room and looked at me. "I'll give you water, come" Karin extended her hand to Ryuu who followed after her.

I glanced over and noticed Kenta sitting nearby playing with a few toys. I let out a sigh and went back to trying to feed Nanami.

Mother came back, she hadn't changed much. But she started approaching Karin and Ryuu more. She started telling them about our homeland. Karin was still shy around her but she would always ask for Mother to tell her stories.

Mother had started to teach me how to cook. I was happy to see her moving around more. I think she had been depressed about fathers death and she had taken the situation pretty bad. She didn't approach Kenta or Nanami much. But that was fine she was helping Karin and Ryuu. She still relapsed a few times but overall she was taking the initiative to better her relationship with them.

Kusa shinobi and the doctors hadn't come around much. We would all go for check-ups every once in a while, but it was not that often.

They still had the habit of calling me mama, But everything was finally back to normal. Or as normal as we were going to be. Mother seemed so much better.

She was actually playing with the kids and cooking. It felt like we were an actual family. With her help, I was able to relax and play more. I no longer had to do everything and I was helping Kenta start walking. He never did crawl but he did start trying to stand up.

I was happy that he was finally trying to start walking. He was a year and six months before he even tried walking.

Nanami was now three months old. I am pretty sure that Karin was turning four soon. Ryuu was two and a little menace. He seemed to find it fun to run around and cause havoc. The house was always rowdy and everyone seemed to be moving and doing something.

I did not have to be behind the three of them all the time and I made sure to concentrate on taking care of Nanami. She was still as fussy as ever but soon she would start eating and sitting up. By now she was almost sleeping through the whole night and that came as a relief to me.

Mother would also send me out to run laps around the house with Karin and Ryuu. She kept saying that I needed to be fit. I know for a fact that she was planning something so I listened to her. But I did not let the kids know, if kusa even thought we were planning something we would be screwed.

I personally agreed with mother, we would not stay here no matter what. Soon they would expect for Karin and Ryuu to start training as Kusa ninja, I am sure that they would try and brainwash them to being loyal to the Village. I would not let that happen. The only good thing that came from this place was their births and that was it.

Mother was pregnant again. I am pretty sure there is a pattern. She would give birth, she would be normal for around three months and then she would start disappearing and before we know it she was pregnant. Before she would act differently when she was taken, She would come back with bruises on her face, body, and knuckles. Whatever was happening she was fighting, she would also be crying and unhappy.

She tried not to show it but I could tell she was unhappy about the whole ordeal. I didn't mention it. I had noticed when I felt a buzzing within her chakra, It was like small sparks of lightning.

She was more determined to teach us and spend time with us this time around.

I had given her the tracking seal as well. She had been quite impressed but also lectured me about placing new seals on the children. She said that it could have gone wrong and that they could have been injured.

I placed the seal on Nanami and my mother since everyone else already had it. We were all able to keep track of each other then.

I had braided Ryuu's hair. I smiled proudly at my work.

His hair had always been hard for me to work with since it was so curly and different than mothers, Karin, Nanami and Kenta's hair. But with mothers help, I had found the best way to work with it and every week I would braid it differently.

I was getting better each time and he was happy with his braids. Karin had become a bit jealous and I was also braiding and styling her hair as well. Mother was teaching me how to work with Ryuu's hair type and different ways to style Karin's hair.

As for my hair, I had a middle part with bangs and my hair was always tied up. Mothers was long and straight in a low ponytail as well. She was always graceful, to be honest, my mother was beautiful. She had soft sad red eyes and smooth milky white skin. Her hair was long and a vibrant red and she had a delicate frame. She had freckles on her shoulder due to them being seals. Other than that she naturally did not have many blemishes.

Unlike her my skin was a bit darker, In that aspect, only Nanami was my skin tone although she was much darker. Kenta was albino so he was as white as snow and Karin was pale just like mother, Ryuu was a beige with a yellow undertone.

We were all different but we were family.

Mother was teaching Karin a bit about chakra and taught me how to help them unlock it. We were still being watched but not as much and we liked having our privacy.

A man had shown up and called himself Nanami's father. He said that he was from a large clan here in kusa and that when she was six he would take her away and teach her how to be a proper shinobi.

I was paranoid. I did not want them to leave my sight. What if Karin's father showed up and took her away. She was going to be six in two years. Mother had also been quite twitchy since. Mother had started to tell me that as soon as the new baby was born and that she was healed enough to move that we would run away.

I was starting to prepare storage scrolls of food and supplies. I was ready to leave. No one was taking my babies, much less some stupid man claiming to be the father. The only similarity had been the skin tone but I did not care. He was not going to take her away.

I made sure to keep Nanami near me. I didn't even take her out of the house and when the doctors wanted to check up on her I did not leave them alone with her. I tried to explain what was going on to Karin but she did not seem to understand much. But she had become more protective over her younger siblings. She tried to bite a Doctor that picked Kenta up and had managed to hit one.

They lectured me and I had apologized to them. I had lied and told them that she was a bit overprotective and sometimes didn't let mother touch her siblings. They muttered to themselves about it being a good trait and entering her into the program as well and didn't say anything else about it.

Mother was seven months pregnant at this point. Nanami was almost one and I felt as if the clock was ticking.

I cradled the new baby, Fumiko was small and apparently from the same clan as Nanami. She had curly red hair like Ryuu but somehow with even tighter curls, Her skin was dark and smooth and her eyes were dark and brown.

She had a lightning chakra affinity like Ryuu, although she looked similar Nanami.

Nanami has a fire affinity.

I had waited for my mother to return.

Fumiko had her shots and I was pretty sure I had packed enough for us to escape. I could feel my nerves on edge as I waited for mother to return. She told me she had a plan. We would leave the grass country. She had drawn out maps on the escape route, I would carry Fumiko in the front and Nanami on my back. Mother would carry Kenta and Ryuu since they were bigger. Karin was old enough to be able to run with us. We would have to leave among the chaos.

I had not explained it to Karin, Mother had also sealed all of the Uzumaki clan secrets within Karin, Ryuu, Kenta and me. She had told me that if we were caught to act as if we don't know anything. We were young enough to not be blamed and she would let them take her if needed. I was scared. I had memorized the roads and towns we would be crossing since I checked over the plan so much.

When mother returned there was a look of defiance in her eyes. I was reminded that my mother had once been a proud Uzumaki warrior, we were stubborn to the core and we were survivors.

That night mother wrapped our feet in bandages so we would not get blisters. I cringed as I saw her deformed feet but knew that we were risking it all to leave this place.

When nightfall came we were ready to leave. Mother had placed silencing seals on Fumiko, Nanami, and Kenta. Karin and Ryuu were able to stay quiet.

I was nervous but waited for our signal. And soon I found out what it was as loud explosions rang through Kusa. Buildings exploded and burst into flames across the city. Mother kept the ram seal muttering her justu and leading Karin and I through the forests.

The ninja guarding us were quick to check on the explosions since they resembled an attack.

I was breathing heavy as I held mothers hand. She ran as fast as her broken feet let her and was leading us through the darkness.

"Who goes there?" I heard someone yell and I felt cold sweat run down my neck. Mother made a motion for silence as she carefully moved through the darkness. I saw the man, He had tan olive skin and was looking around trying to find us. Karin was horrified and starting to panic but I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Mother moved through the foliage like a skilled panther and when the man least expected it she attacked. I had never seen someone move that fast.

She fought him and he was trying to overpower her. They were in a heated taijutsu battle and he threw some kunai knives at her. She moved so fast that I had barely seen it as she plucked a kunai from the air and used it to slice the mans throat. She quickly began searching his body and stealing his ninja tools. "Let's go." She whispered and I nodded rapidly.

My legs burned as we ran. Karin was complaining some but Mother could not carry her since her feet would not allow her to carry more weight. I could feel Fumiko crying as she was possibly hungry, but if we were to stop now they would catch us. We had to flee the country and it would take two months or so to reach the land of fire. We could not travel at ninja speeds so we could not do so in days like they could.

It was morning when we came to a stop. Mother hid us in a cave and I was finally able to tend to Fumiko. I changed her diaper and fed her. She had cried so much she could only eat and fall asleep.

When Nanami woke up I fed her and let her play. Ryuu and Kenta were awake and silently playing in the cave since they could not speak due to the seal. If we were caught I had to remove the seals. Mother had told me that.

We slept for most of the day and rested. I rubbed Karin's feet, she was not used to running like she had. At night we started off once again. We moved as fast as we could and didn't slow down. The jogging around the house mother had made us do was helping us now but that did not mean that we did not get tired.

As we ran I felt an angry buzzing behind us. I tugged on my mother's hand. "They are after us, they found us." I whispered out and mother's eyes went wide in shock she removed Kenta and Ryuu from her back.

"Do not stop." She said sternly and I nodded. They moved fast, I was feeling them approaching and I could feel my heart in my chest.

'No, we are almost free. Don't let them capture us, god please don't' I thought to myself as I made the kids run. "Hurry, they'll kill us if they catch us." I huffed out of breath. Karin was crying from fear.

I could feel their chakra's flare and mothers as well. I was surprised when I felt hers. It was like a fast pace river gushing through her. but it also felt like it as leaking out of her strangely.

I am not sure how long we ran but soon something fell in front of us. I screamed in horror as I saw the Kusa headband. When the world turned black.

I woke up to a bright light. I was laying on a hard mattress. Slowly I sat up and looked around.

I was alone, there were bars in front of me and chains around my wrists and ankles.

Quietly I observe my surroundings. The walls were made of concrete, there was a toilet and I was alone... alone. My eyes widened as I sensed for my chakra seal, I felt it and quickly was connected to six signatures. They were far away. I could not stop the tears as I cried loudly.

They questioned me. They asked who had helped us and what had happened. I honestly didn't know but they pressured me and screamed. Sometimes they would beat me and my body ached. It had been what I think was days since the incident. Mother was still alive, I could still feel her seal and she was the nearest one.

Karin was also nearby, they were probably asking her questions too, but mother had placed a seal on her and Ryuu. They could talk and mother had made sure they would not spill any secrets. I wondered if mother took the blame. But even if she did they also suspected me.

Maybe they will kill me. From what I hear she managed to place highly explosive Uzumaki seals in their hospital and around their village. Every building she was close to or passed by had been destroyed. There were triple digits in the death toll and the injured was nearing the Four digits.

Mother had told me what she had done. Gravity seals near the bombs would have gone off first once that was done it was the explosives. They weren't normal explosives that shinobi had, these were Uzumaki explosions. They could explode between a 20-50 meter radius.

She had turned Kusa into a fire pit. Shinobi and Civilian had both died we had hoped that the massive attack would have distracted them enough not to pursue us. As they beat me and cursed at me I could only think about how they deserved it for kidnapping us. Had they just let us be they would have not had this misfortune.

The only thing that I could think as I was dragged back to my cell was 'stubborn to the core, and deadly as hell. We Uzumaki demand blood for the transgression against us.'

Days seemed to mend together and I was lost in my head. I hadn't told them anything. They beat me and tried to get me to tell them if I knew anything but I stayed silent. We were going to escape, someday, somehow we were going to leave this place and it could burn in hell for all I care.

A kusa shinobi walked into my cell, I didn't even bother to acknowledge him as I sat quietly.

"Brat open your mouth." He hissed angrily as he grabbed my face forcing me to look up. I did as he said and he started pouring something in my mouth. I quickly swallowed as I choked. I gagged as I felt I had swallowed something with the water. But before I could throw it up I was smacked across the face and my body collided with the concrete wall.

I choked and tried to take deep breaths as my body was filled with pain. "Let's go." I was forced to stand up and dragged, I tried not to glare at the man since he would get more violent but the smirk on his face made me nervous. What were they planning?

By the time we had arrived my vision was weird. Things seemed to be moving back and forth. My body also felt hot and tingly, I could barely hear and everything sounded distant. Everything felt far away yet up close as if there was no depth and my body was twitchy.

"Come brat." He smirked as he grabbed my hair yanking me forward. I squealed as I fell on the cold hard ground. I could hear my mother's cool chakra nearby and hear my name being called out. I tried to get up but the floor was shaking and my face felt like it was radiating warmth.

"Mama?" I managed to slur out as I looked up. I could see my mother her hair was tangled, she had bruises on her face and body, Why was she naked and why is she screaming my name.

I stare at her horror-filled face as she tried to pull me close to her. "Mizuko, Mizuko! What did you do to her!" I heard her yell, But I felt like I was underwater.

My body didn't hurt for once and I couldn't help the sloppy smile on my face.

My mother was yanked back by somethingthat was wrapped around her neck. I tried to reach for her but my head was yanked back harshly.

I squealed when something pressed against my mouth. My eyes went wide as it moved against my lips. What was it?

It took me a moment to register that it was someone's lips. Someone was kissing me.

I tried to move back and but my body felt hot. I slowly moved my lips. Flutters filled my stomach and I was confused. I could feel a warm wet tongue in my mouth.

He pulled away and smirked as he looked at me. I could see his sharp features as they stared down at me with a grin. In the background, I could hear my mother's screaming.

I was in a daze as I tried to look around. There were men all around me. Their chakras felt menacing and made me slowly try to pull away.

They were laughing and speaking but I could not understand or hear them. It sounded like gibberish but something in my mind was telling me to get away.

It felt like a thousand hot hands fell on me. My clothes seemed to have been ripped off and I was trying to find out what had happened.

Every touch sent warm tingles down my spine and it became noisier by the minute.

I was looking around me and all I saw was blurry bodies. One caught my attention. It had red hair and a more female shape. She was surrounded but always in front of me.

I could not think, everything seemed to either be too detailed or blurred. I could hear my own voice though, Ididn't speak but moans, groans, and squeals came from me. I felt many hands trailing up my body caressing it gently.

My hair pulled and lips leaving bites all over me.

It had been disorienting until I felt something push inside of me. It felt different foreign and something inside me clicked. It felt wrong.

I could feel tears swell up in my eyes as I tried to get away. All I received was laughing. Then suddenly it was gone. I felt relief fill me as I was no longer being violated.

But soon that relief vanished. For a second I had clarity and I slowly glanced down. A man was between my legs pushing himself inside of him and I looked around. There were more looking at me with lust in their eyes.

I tried to push the man away when someone grabbed my arms and pulled them back. He had also hooked my legs around his forearms and pulled them back as well.

I felt naked and exposed, they were all looking at me. There was a loud ringing in my ears. I didn't know what it was.

I looked around desperately as they both pushed inside me making me feel full from in front of me and behind like I was being split in two.

I felt a familiar chakra."Mama! Mama! Help me!" I screamed as I tried to breath.

"Leave her! Please!" I heard loud sobbing to see my mother being held down by a few men as well. Her face a black and blue.

Everything then seemed to blur, all that I could think of was pain and pleasure. My body twitching and squirming. The thousand hands caressing me. The hot mouths kissing me. I could not hear and I could not see. My memories blurred and I don't remember what I did and didn't do.

I woke aching. My head felt dizzy and my body weak. I didn't bother opening my eyes.

It had happened again. Last night some came in and did what they wanted with mother and me.

They had cut her feet off. Her fingers were broken and some fingers were missing. Her face was bruised and not a single patch of clear milky skin was visible.

And she would be looking at me. I felt naked in her gaze as she stared at me. It was like she did not sleep or move.

Mother was a broken thing in front of me. She wore nothing, her hair in disarray as she stared at me in her chains.

She could not speak they had cut her tongue. She just sat tirelessly in front of me.

I was not chained. My body just refused to move. I would lay on the concrete floor not even bothering to heal myself. Until someone came and spoon-fed me.

They would then sedated and forced mother to eat. I could tell she was already swollen and pregnant.

They wanted me to be the same. I was told that I would take my mother's place once she died. She was a liability, it was her fault I was here. Had she not tried to set us free.

I could not hate her for it, I was doomed to end up here in the first place. They were going to bring me here in a year or two.

Besides, I had already had my first period. I wondered what my baby would look like? I wonder what lady kushina was doing. Maybe she was taking a stroll or cooking, maybe she had children and was taking care of them.

I wonder how Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, Nanami, and Fumiko are?

I opened my eyes slowly and groaned softly. The drugs, they were what was keeping me going. If I had to remember everything they did to me I would go insane. They were also lowering my dosage because I could be 'pregnant'.

I concentrated on the kid's chakra. I could feel it pulsing sadly.

I heard the doors open and someone walk in. It was a doctor ready to feed us and heal us for tonight.

Mother was big. Her stomach was round and her eyes were lifeless.

She had been like this before but not to this extent.

She didn't speak or move. At this point, I wondered if she could even think. She was like a living breathing doll.

They had moved me out of the cell. I was promised the kids back. And they started to teach me. It was an attempt at brainwashing and I went along with it perfectly.

I was probably never going to escape. But I was going to plan and plot.

Uzumaki's secrets would never be shared with Kusa and we were never going to be kusa nin.

I'll leave it with this.

I was going to not have an attempt at escaping but I thought about it, Rumi was a proud jonin of uzushio. She was a warrior and for her to simply fade and give up due to her injuries would be dumb.

She went down yes, but she made sure kusa hated her as she did so. She massacred hundreds and injured almost a thousand.

Kusa people now kinda hate the Uzumaki.

Mizuko was destined to take her mother's place and it was slowly hinted that Rumi was being violently raped for a long time.

Now why they hurt Mizuko in front of Rumi? Simple.

Rumi has shown that Mizuko is the only thing she cared for. Disabled and constantly being abused have shattered her.

Now, seeing her mother so broken has sparked a rebellious flame in Mizuko and she will plot and plan her own escape as well.

Rosymalik


	6. Chapter Five: Reborn

Mizuko POV_

I sat in a room quietly. The first child they were bringing to me was Fumiko.

Apparently, she was now five months old. They described her as intolerable. Apparently, she would cry and scream all day no matter what they did.

I could imagine what they put her through. I was glad I never told them about how we all had a bit of chakra sensitivity.

Sure other people had it, but rarely was it as severe as an Uzumaki's. Our massive reserves growing and small bits slipping out of our tenketsu, it was no wonder we were so in tune with our surroundings and that kind of exposure made us great chakra sensors.

So surrounded by cold unfeeling chakra and no one to take care of her correctly, Fumiko was frustrated. The more she became frustrated the more she cried. As the dislike for her grew their chakra was even worse and so Fumiko would cry louder.

I could hear the loud cries as they were bringing her. I tried to calm myself as my tempered flared.

I could hear her voice was loud and shrill. It was slightly hoarse from crying and she had probably not met her weight and growth quotas.

The nurse came in and slightly glared at me as she saw me. Her face was burned on the side and disfigured. I tried to hide my smile as I notice her. She had probably been caught in the blast from the hospital.

I lifted my hands extending them towards Fumiko.

"Bring her here." I say softly and she sneered slightly as she placed Fumiko in my arms.

I ignore the nurse as I gently cradled the small screaming baby. I take a deep breath making sure to calm my chakra.

I was happy. To have Fumiko here and soon Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, and Nanami would be here.

I slowly rocked her back and forth, she was still squirming. She had always been fussy although now she was more than before.

I slowly began to sing, she probably doesn't remember the song but that was fine she would remember someday.

I continued to rock her even as she cried, soon her cries calmed down and they became quiet sniffles. She would look at me with wide eyes as I continued to sing to her.

I wanted to laugh. If someone had actually cared for her, she would have been inseparable from them. Maybe then they could have brainwashed her when she was older. But with how they treated her she would most likely avoid them.

The nurse looked at me incredulously as I sat Fumiko on my lap.

"Fumiko-chan, I know I have been gone for a while. I'm so sorry I have been gone chocolate drop. But mama isn't going anywhere." I coo as I place my forehead against her and place small kisses on her chubby cheeks.

A small giggle comes out of her mouth and I then pull her close. She snuggled into my arms basking in my chakra and slowly started to drift off.

I hummed and patted her back. She was quiet her tired eyes drifting side to side as she looked around.

The nurse waited a bit longer to see if she would start crying again.

"When will I be allowed to see my other children?" I asked as I looked up at her.

She snickered and turned around she didn't respond as she stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her. Fumiko began to sniffle but I rocked her back and forth.

Days had gone by and they tried to take Fumiko away and I could hear her scream at the top of her lungs from inside the room.

Maybe this could be my saving grace if I was too valuable for their development they would let me stay with them.

I could not help the slight guilt I felt, it almost felt like I was using them. But I had lost a lot of credibility with them after the attempt to escape.

I still saw mother every once in a while, I had a feeling they were trying to warn me that I could end up like her. I would find a way out, I just needed time.

I was locked in a room, I held Fumiko close to me. I honestly did not know how far along my pregnancy was.

It sickened me. Sure I had a growth spurt, small breast, and my body finally filling out. But every time I looked into a mirror I only saw a small child.

I could see why mother had acted the way she had. But I could not bring myself to be like her, I just took it with no care.

So what if they touched me and violated me for their sick satisfaction. I was alive and functioning, that was all that mattered.

I laid Fumiko down and she curled up beside me. I could feel their chakra coming towards me.

I sat up waiting for them. I looked down and acted as docile as I could. They seemed to not be as violent when I presented myself this way.

They walked in and I sat quietly, did I want to cry? Yes... I hated this. Would I cry? No, they would never get to see me that way.

I could feel them remove the chains from my ankles. I slowly got up and followed them out of the room.

"Come here Mizuko-chan." One of them patted the bed as he sat down. I quietly obeyed as I walked forward. Ignoring the spot where he asked me to sit I quietly sat on his lap and nuzzled my face against his neck.

"Ha, little slut's excited." One of them barked out a laugh. I let out a small whimper, but I had to push down my anger and indignation.

I could feel him push my hair back and look at me. "Better behaved than her mother seems like we have been training this one well." The man who's lap I was on laughed as he looked at my face.

I could feel my face heat up in anger, but I made my expression seem bashful. "D-don't talk about her. Y-you're with m-me." I stuttered out trying to sound disgusted when I brought up my mother.

"Yeah, Mizuko-chan is one of a kind. Soft ass, nicest tits I've seen in a while. Just wait till she's a bit older. She'll be a sex deviant." He smirked as he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into a kiss.

I let out soft moans as I felt him slip his hands inside my yukata.

With practiced ease I let myself act as if I was enjoying his hands on me. Soon enough another set of hands began to undress me.

I tried to act like I was embarrassed and timid. They loved it when I acted coy. It probably fed to their fucking ego.

I tried to think of something else as their hands trailed down my body. I tried to think back to when they used to force me to take drugs. At those times I had almost no idea what was going on. Everything had been a blur.

I could feel as my chakra stirred inside me as I tried to remember the way everything had felt.

I could hear their leer laughter and could feel them begin pushing inside of me.

I ignored it as they began moving. I had to hold on to their shoulders and steady myself, make my body move in a way they would not hurt me.

Shinobi have a stupid amount of stamina, why could they not take turns on different days? Why did they come in crowds of two or more? It just made everything more difficult.

I tried not to think of them or where I was. The only good thing that came out of this was the actual orgasms I did have.

I focused on myself as I could feel my body start to sweat. The tingles of pleasure and build up. Ilet my mouth run, moaning and pleading for more. I slowly opened my eyes to see another fucking dick in front of me.

Fuck blowjobs, these bastards were so inconsiderate. I slowly open my mouth and take the member into my mouth.

I could feel him shove it down my throat and I choked. I could barely breathe and he was pushing himself deeper and deeper. I could feel myself gag but tried to keep my body in control. They hated vomiting, the last thing I needed was to get hit or worse get a black eye.

I could feel the guy from behind speed up and I tried to hold myself back from squirming.

"Wait!" I tried to yell but a fucking dick was shoved down my throat making me choke and the guy decided to speed up.

I could feel my eyes roll back as my body spasmed as waves of pleasure went through me.

I could hear them groan loudly as they panted. I could feel the one who I had been giving a blowjob rub himself against my cheek as he spread cum on my face.

I looked down and noticed a small light pink amount of chakra coming out of my body.

I quickly glanced at the man in front of me. His eyes were dilated and his face was flushed.

I was just coming down from my high and they just kept going I just wanted to shove them all off me.

I tried to reign in my chakra and they seemed to splutter.

They seemed to be like putty in my hands almost begging for more.

I could use this to my advantage.

Practice, I avoided looking at them or making eye contact. They just took it for me being shy.

But to be honest I couldn't stand looking at their dumb faces. They haunted me and pissed me off.

I wanted to hurl things, scream, hit and punch them. But who was I kidding? I was civilian to the boot. I had no taijutsu, no genjutsu, and no ninjutsu.

Sure I could use wood style to make plants grow, seals, and maybe the healing technique mother had taught me. But these assholes were fully trained active ninja and judging by how their chakra moved and how they acted they were Jonin ranked.

I could remember mother socking a few of them in the face and fighting back, even if she was retired and crippled she was able to do something.

I, on the other hand, would probably not survive if they decided I pissed them off.

And they did love to gloat. They would talk about how much money their high ranking mission were bringing in and how one day I would have their baby.

I tried to ignore their crude commentary, it got annoying as well.

They also kept saying they would bring my children back but I had yet to see them.

I quietly sat in my room, I tried to push the smallest amount of chakra out of my hand. A soft pinkish glow was visible.

I tried to lower the amount again and noticed it had dimmed a bit.

This was something I had started to do. Instead of healing chakra, I was injecting a bit of my chakra through their body.

I had heard of genjutsu and that was made to fool the senses. But what I was doing was different. Instead of promoting cells to grow I was trying to promote the neurotransmitters in the brain to release dopamine.

I was taking my experience from before when I had been so drugged that all I can remember was the pleasure and trying to apply it here. During sex, I could always pump them full of chakra since they had their guard down. Make them addicts.

Going back to their normal girlfriend or whoever they used to fuck would be hard, not the same orgasms and soon I'd have them coming back for more.

Not that I really wanted them, but if I can make them feel like I was the only one for them. Maybe I could sleep myself out of Kusa.

Men could be stupid, all I had to do was pick the strongest one. They would be ranked high enough that they could get us out.

Act coy, like a lovesick idiot and a few tears. Spread my legs and ask them to whisk me away? Other women had managed it with subpar skills why couldn't I?

Either way, I was going to be raped with or without doing this.

But I would be dammed if I didn't try. I had yet to pick out my target but I would find one soon.

Mother had gone into labor yesterday.

For the first time, they brought me to see the child. Usually, they would just take them to me.

People glared at me, but I kept a neutral expression. Not my fault that kidnapped us and treat us like sex slaves.

They honestly did a shit job and making me a patriotic Uzumaki baby machine.

They had let me know that when I hit menopause I would get my own home and if my children or grandchildren were ninjas I would become a full-fledge kusa citizen.

They acted like I was even planning on being here that long.

Or as if I wanted to be raped and have their jonin's children.

Although I was happy to know that they were glaring because my mother blew up nearly half of their Village.

I would never regret giving my mother paper and ink. We should have covered more ground. Maybe we could have killed them all. Or maybe set up bigger seal arrays.

I let my thoughts trail off as I arrived.

The doctor scoffed and walked towards me.

"You will see the child soon. Come I have to show you something." He grumbled as he led me into the room.

I walked in and noticed my mother laying motionlessly on the bed.

"Unfortunately she lost to much blood and there were complications. Sorry for your loss." He stated emotionlessly.

I felt my mouth go dry as I approached the bed. She wasn't breathing, nor could I feel her chakra. I tried to sense her with my seal but I could not find her.

I stared at her for a while. 'Never let kusa get ahold of the Uzumaki secrets' 'Never let them become Kusa shinobi.'

The tears stayed in my eyes as I looked down at her. A strong woman, down to her last dying breath. A proud Uzushiogakure Jonin, protecting our clan secrets till the very end.

I would not fail her. I will leave Kusa. I won't stay here long, I would leave this hell hole.

"Can I take a lock of her hair. I want to have it as a memento." I say as I look at the doctor. He gave me an odd look but nodded.

"Can you also burn the body? I want her body to be burned away. Like her kin back in the invasion of Uzushiogakure." I say and the man stared at me in what seemed to be horror.

I looked at him emotionlessly and back at her. I would hate for her to be buried in the place that she hated so much.

He looked a lot like Karin. Pale skin, red eyes and he even had a nose like her. The only difference was his hair was curly like Ryuu and Fumiko's.

Since I was also pregnant I was surprised when I found out I could breastfeed.

Tadashi-kun was quiet and barely caused any problems. I had him with me and although I was seven months pregnant he kept me and Fumiko company.

We were placed back in the same house we had been in before.

Mothers things had been taken, the entire house had been stripped of doors and privacy.

The only place with a door was mother's old room. They told me I would get visitors and while the kids slept in one room I could entertain the so-called guest in the other room.

The bitch who had been the one to tell me smirked and looked at me in disgust. I wanted to punch her across the face but I smiled at her and said nothing.

She had also been staring at my stomach. If that had not been enough she asked me how old I was and called me a whore when I told her I would be thirteen soon.

She then called my dead mother a whore as well before telling me that all of my daughters would be like me. Being that they had been covered in cum inside the womb they would do the same for the rest of their lives.

I can say that I managed to keep my soft smile as she spoke and if she hadn't been a shinobi I would have bashed her face in.

When the annoying team that had escorted me had left, I made myself at home.

Throughout the day I discreetly checked to see if my seals where still there and luckily since they were compressed they were never found.

It took days before I saw the kids. Karin had run into my arms sobbing hysterically. The other kids had cried loudly as well.

Ryuu, Kenta, and Nanami were all skinny and had lost a significant amount of weight.

I was going to have to fix that. I also went ahead and introduced them to Tadashi. I had also told them that mother passed away.

They didn't understand but I still let them know. Wouldn't want them thinking she had abandoned us here. Because although she had been a shitty mother to them, at the end she tried her fucking best to get us out of here.

I had also managed to place a few small soundproof seals on the inside of mother's room.

I made sure they knew that the room was forbidden. And kept the door closed. The last thing I needed was them seeing me get fucked six ways to Sunday.

And so we began a daily routine. Wake up in the morning cook, proceed to clean, wash laundry and take care of them all, feed them bathe them and at eight p.m we would go to bed.

At nine p.m I would leave Karin in charge of taking care of Tadashi and go to mother's room.

I would wait, they would come at night and I would get fucked until they got tired. It ranged from 2-8 hours.

I would also offer them food and drinks. Act like I somehow enjoyed their company, laughed at their jokes and asked them about themselves, flirt.

They would gloat and talk about themselves or they would just be quiet and let their comrades talk. Some would say they would only come here once since they heard it was worth it despite my young age and 'inexperience' and they would start coming regularly.

But I was careful with my choices. Some even found it interesting since I was pregnant and all. I just played along with their stupid demands. I was going to find the perfect target.

Before I knew it I was in pain and in a hospital bed. I felt as if I was dying, I hadn't thought that birth hurt this much.

I had been here for hours and the doctors weren't even trying to numb me. They said that I would give natural birth and basically to deal with it.

This time around I lost my temper for once and told them to fuck off. And to help me get the baby out.

I close my eyes feeling the sharp pain of the contraction I tried to coach myself in the birth since they did not seem to care or want to help.

Fuck them, so what my mother killed most of the hospital staff. Big deal, they were the ones who kidnapped us first!

'Birth then the after birth. Even if they don't help you, they'll take care of the baby.' I thought to myself as I waited for the next contraction to push.

I was sitting up and almost in a squatting position. Fuck laying down my whole back hurt.

I kept pushing until I finally felt a warm sensation of relief. That's when the asshole of a doctor finally stepped in. He caught the small infant and made sure they were breathing.

I laid back and nearly cried as I heard the baby's cries.

"It's a boy." The doctor called out as the nurse helped cut the umbilical cord.

I smiled slightly. Well, at least Tadashi and he could be like twins.

"You have to push out the after birth." The nurse brought me out of my musing as she looked annoyed that I was relieved.

I just wanted to snatch her by her hair and beat her. These people weren't any fucking help.

After a day or so I was given the small baby boy, he had soft silky truffles of red hair and his skin was like milky chocolate. His eyes were like liquid gold and he was so small.

Since I had breastfed Tadashi I easily went ahead and did the same for my newborn.

I named him Hisashi. I was to be kept in the hospital for a week, but I was going to make sure I was healed completely when I was back home.

They had explained how I was going to be bleeding for a few weeks and I had to rest. They let me know of my aftercare and not to do anything to strain myself.

Then they proceeded to take me home to care for all of my children.

I was back on my feet by then and with both Tadashi strapped to my back since he was older and Hisashi in front since he was still smaller, I was taking care of the children.

To make matters worse once I was out those bastards came back. They would act as if they had missed me. I refused any vaginal sex. If I got pregnant this quickly I would literally try and kill them.

I did do a few blowjobs, titjobs and handjobs before kicking their asses out as soon as I could.

They were also annoyed that both Tadashi and Hisashi cried nearly every two hours.

I was glad when they left.

Karin was also helpful but I did not want to burden her with raising the two babies. Especially since the only reason, I couldn't do it was because I was expected to prostitute myself to the fucking ninja here.

Sure she was six and didn't mind but I wanted her to enjoy being a child and play with her siblings.

Before I knew it my three resting months was up and they were checking to see if I was pregnant yet.

I now knew why mother would have so many random check-ups. They were nearly demanding for me to get pregnant.

After the third failed pregnancy test, they were furious.

After some blood test, they let me know that they had picked out the best candidate to impregnate me.

I was actually pretty shocked. Apparently, they picked out the sperm donor but also let some sick fucks rape me for shits an giggles.

I personally feel like I was just being prostituted and the some of the Kusa ninjas wanted to see if they could accidentally score and have an Uzumaki kid.

I was told to dress up, they were sending an older jonin to get me pregnant.

From what they let me know he was strong and they were sure we would have a strong baby.

The second he walked in I was terrified of him. He was definitely older and sadly a bit good looking too.

His hair was brushed back and had a few grey hairs. He had sharp brown slanted eyes and was well built. Sure the other men who came in weren't bad looking but this guy had an air of confidence and he was looking down at me. I could tell by the scoff on his face.

"I'm not into brats as young as you. But unfortunately, the older Uzumaki woman died." He spoke harshly and I couldn't help but avert my gaze.

"So let's make this quick. I don't want to be here longer than necessary." He grumbled and I nodded.

I slowly started removing Yukata and climbed on to the bed.

I was going to try and take the lead, they would sometimes let me.

He removed his shirt and unbuckled his pants. I had seen plenty of strong and muscular shinobi so I wasn't shocked.

Before I could say or really do anything I was pinned down.

"I don't want to look at your face. Kami knows I'm practically fucking a child." He sneered.

I stayed still. Although I hated them, these men were strong and they could fucking kill me. It was best to not aggravate them.

I could feel him remove my undergarments and pull my Yukata up. I tried to position myself comfortably as my head was being pinned to the mattress in the classic face down ass up position.

I slowly coated my skin with the light pink chakra. It wasn't visible but it would do its job.

I could feel him against me and it made me shiver. I was fine with not looking at him. Better not to associate them with any of this. Just concentrate on myself.

He loosened his grip and his hand slowly went around my neck as he pulled me up. I could feel his cool breath against the nape of my neck but I tried to stay silent.

I didn't move to grab his arm to steady myself. With ninja, sudden movement could be fatal, especially since his hand was around my neck and squeezing it lightly.

I felt him push inside me and I tried to ignore it, think of something else.

I could hear him groan slightly and I wanted to smirk. They never had their guard up when fucking. And I never had to build up my chakra just ease it out of me.

I'm not sure how long he stayed. He had cum more than once and seemed to have placed me in every position. Before I knew it he had ripped my clothes off his hands were all over my body.

Maybe he could be my ticket out of this damned village. And just thinking about it made dealing with all of this worth it.

He had claimed that he was disgusted by me but here he was. He had come back nearly every single day.

Of course, other men came as well but I was seeing a lot of him.

But he always came alone, I would act coy with him and invite him to have tea and snacks.

I slowly stopped giving the others the chakra, eased them out of it, I had found my ticket out.

He was talkative, I was happy to listen to him talk and ramble.

"Akio-San will you be coming back this week?" I asked softly as I served him tea.

He glanced at me and gave me a small smile.

I could not help the blush. Sure I was going to use him and he was much older than me but he was also quite handsome.

"I'll see if I can come around. I am a busy man." He stated as he drank the tea. I hid the lower part of my face with the sleeve of my Yukata.

"Of course, I understand. A man of your caliber barely has time to be wasting." I say avoiding his gaze but glancing back at him.

I was acting a bit coy, and he loved it. It had been a few months and I was visibly now pregnant.

Unlike the other men, he would come during the day. I instructed the children out of the house at those timings.

Karin did not like him and I would leave her with both Tadashi and Hisashi.

But I was making sure he was comfortable.

The kids would look at him through curious eyes. Sometimes peeking through the door to see him.

I reprimanded them and would cook for him meals before he would leave.

He would also be gone for weeks at a time.

To be honest with myself I had become attached. But my end goal would not change despite my feelings. Maybe it was my hormones.

Maybe it was the crippling loneliness I felt. Who would really want me, I was passed around and not valued. Sure I had the kids but I needed validation from them as well.

Maybe this is what mother felt and why she had been so broken.

My pregnancy progressed and I did my best to juggle being a mother, the kusa ninja, and Akio-san.

I had no time for myself and the only time I could relax was when I took a bath. Tadashi was finally sleeping through the night but Hisashi would still wake up sometimes.

I was lucky that no one was getting sick. If one caught an illness and they all got sick. I am pretty sure I would die of exhaustion.

But that lucky streak did not last long. Soon enough everyone was sick and I was running around washing the futon, clothes and keeping up with medicine.

When Akio-San found out that I had barely slept when he came to visit instead of us eating or going to the bedroom he had let me sleep. I had slept peacefully as I laid my head on his lap and he stroked my long red hair.

My feelings for him had grown and I was slightly repulsed. Sure he was a great man.

But I was never going to be allowed to settle. My job was to pop children out until I died or could no longer have any.

Soon I had noticed my I was almost fourteen and had another growth spurt, but by now my stomach was round as I was 6 months pregnant. Akio was amused knowing that it was his child that I was having.

I nearly cried when I approached him. His chakra was warm and like a soft breeze. I felt comfort in it. I was not suppose to feel comfort in it. Like every other Kusa ninja, I was suppose to loathe him and hate him. Feel repulsed by him when I was near him.

But his chakra was sincere and I liked it. I liked him and it was not fair. I had promised mother that I would never share the Uzumaki secrets with Kusa Ninja and that I would get us out of this hell hole.

Soon I was due to give birth, we were all nervous. I made sure to make preparations for the children. I made food that would not go bad easily and instructed karin on how to serve the food.

Tadashi was walking now and Hisashi was crawling. Ryuu, Kenta, Nanami, and Fumiko were causing havoc.

Ryuu was much like Karin and understood almost everything. Kenta, Nanami, and Fumiko didn't so they spent their days running and playing. I had not been able to teach Kenta, Nanami or Fumiko anything about the Uzumaki because of how closely I was being watched.

Having experience before I was able to ignore the neglectful doctors and focused on pushing.

Hours seem to pass before I felt like I made progress. And when I felt the small relief of pressure and the doctor grabbed the baby and held him up I was in tears.

I heard the shrill cry of a newborn but was put off by the whispering.

I began to panic."Is my baby okay." I cried out I tried to get up but the nurse pushed me back down. "Calm down we still have to get the after birth."

"Where is my baby!" I yelled as I noticed the doctor had wrapped the crying baby in a blanket and was talking to a nurse.

I tried to force myself back up. "What going on?! Is there something wrong with my baby!" I yell as my panic settled in.

They had strapped me on the bed and I was not told anything even after pushing out the after birth.

Hours passed and I laid restlessly on the bed. They had expected me to sleep but I was concerned.

Nothing was being said and I was worried. Was something wrong with them? Was it a girl or a boy?

Morning came and when the nurses checked on me I pestered them about my baby. They just ignored me as they helped be bath and fed me.

Days went by and no news was given to me.

I was restless and I could feel my body begging to fall asleep but my mind was wide awake.

I heard the door open and I sat up to see who arrived.

The doctor walked in holding my baby. "We had to run some tests on him. Alike Kenta, he has albinism. Unfortunately, Akio was not a compatible match. It seems Rumi and you have a trait for having albino children. Although he is weaker than we hoped for it's not a total failure, we believe he is going to have large Uzumaki reserves. "

I gritted my teeth. My child was not a failure in any way. So what if he and Kenta were albino, they were no different than any of my other kids.

He seemed to notice my anger at his words and scoffed as he handed me, my child,

And just like Kenta, he was small and pink, his hair white against his skin.

I smiled holding him close. "Yukio, my little snow boy." I say as I began breastfeeding him.

I could see him stir as he felt my familiar chakra.

I was released and back home.

Everyone was excited to see the baby. Kenta was happy as he pointed at his hair and then at Yukio's. I guess in a way poor Kenta had felt odd to be the only one with different hair.

I carefully wrapped Yukio against my chest and was back to mothering my children.

They were loud and rowdy and I often found myself yelling at them to behave or get off the table.

They would give me mischievous grins and run off laughing.

I had used my healing ability on myself when I had been released from the hospital.

Clothes had piled up, the house was a mess and they all clung onto me. Our room was a tight fit. I placed Yukio beside me and away from everyone. And they all sprawled out on the futon. I would wake up curled against Yukio and everyone in a heap of arms and legs.

Sometimes at night, they would accidentally kick one another and the other would cry or wake up and hit them back.

I was happy to be back to breaking up fights that had started up.

It had been two months after the birth before Akio came to visit.

The moment I felt his chakra near my heart slightly fluttered. I was quick to send everyone to play in the backyard and when he knocked I quickly answered the door.

I had left little Yukio with Karin so I was not worried.

"Akio-san, it's been a while." I say with a soft smile as I opened the door.

"Please, come in." I say as I stepped to the side and let him in.

"I've been on a few missions Mizuko-chan. But I finally returned. " he smiled as he removed his sandals and walked in.

"I'm sure you are exhausted if you would like I could definitely brew you some tea and bring out some food. I will. Be making dinner soon." I say softly as I led him to the dining room.

Thankfully the house was clean and he sat down at the foot of the low rise table. He gave a nod.

"Thank you, I do enjoy your tea and snacks, Mizu-chan."

I flushed at the nickname and gave a short bow, I brought out the tea set and began brewing the tea.

"I was told that you gave birth." He stated breaking the silence. I stopped and glanced at him. I could fill the fear coursing through my veins.

I gave a slow nod. "Is it alright if I meet our child." He spoke softly as he placed his hand over mine.

My heart fluttered at his words. 'Our child'.

"I, uh yes. I can bring him." I say as I finish brewing the tea and serve him.

"Karin-chan is watching him." I say as I stood up.

My heart was thumping in my chest as the doctor's words rang through my mind.

"Karin give me Yukio, I'll take care of him." I say and she nodded handing me the small bundle. "You can go play." I say and a grin spread on her face as she dashed away.

I carried the small two-month baby in. I looked up to see Akio sit up as I walked in the room.

I sat beside him and he leaned over to see little Yukio.

"I named him Yukio because of his white hair." I say as I looked up at Akio.

"May I hold him?" He asked and I nodded. I placed the small baby in his arms and I could feel his chakra buzz happily. He was wind natured just like Yukio.

My heart swelled as he cooed at little Yukio. Tears swelled in my eyes as he looked back at me and called him our child. I nearly sobbed as he kissed my lips happily.

This was wrong.

This man, I loved him. And he was my ticket out. I could never be with him and my heart broke at the unfairness of the world.

The doctors had let me know who my next child's father would be.

Three months after birth I was set up for my next pregnancy.

It had been a quiet affair. It was a young jonin he had been nervous but it was a blur.

Akio had left for a mission and was not here.

I tried to keep my high spirits but everyone in the house was Chakra sensitive to some extent and could feel my upset mood.

I was trying so hard not to be like mother, was this what she felt as she slept with men that weren't my father? Did she feel like she betrayed him by having the children of the men who killed him?

I was nearly Fifteen now. All my planning was seemingly going to the trash. I was stuck here, with no way out and I felt like I was drowning.

In the mornings my body felt like it was heavy and days blended together.

Why had I even met him, if I had not let his sly words get to me. If I had kept that cruel mindset of using him, I would not be like this.

I was dreading his return. What would he say? Would he blame me? Beat me for having another mans child? Would he even care? He had a very bad opinion of me in the beginning because I was so young.

What if he had been lying and tricking me.

I caught myself staring at the mirror. My body had filled out I had large ample breasts, I was not skinny. I had slight love handles from my previous pregnancies. I had a large ass as well. They always did comment on it as they fucked me.

Saying crude things about my chest and ass, I was unsure if it made me attractive or ugly but for once it concerned me. And it isn't like I could exercise. I had eight children and soon another was going to be born.

"Mama, are you okay. You've been acting weird lately?" Karin asked as she came beside me wanting to help me cook.

I looked at her and smiled. "Sorry about that, I've just been thinking a lot lately." I sighed as I chopped the vegetables.

"About what?" She asked curiously. "About a lot of things, you know I can't talk much about it ." I say holding my finger to my mouth as if saying shush.

Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

"I have too, I miss lady. I wish she was still around to tell us stories." She whispered and sighed.

"And I wish you were happy again. You are always sad and those ninja men keep taking you away." She huffed and I paused.

"Don't worry I'll be alright." I say patting her head.

"Then why are you acting like lady. Will you go away too?"

And pause.

This is a good stopping point.

We needed character development, the difference between child Mizuko and teenage Mizuko.

Som angsty teen moments of doubt.

Next chapter will be quite interesting.

No edits made yet

Rosymalik


	7. Chapter Six: Uncaged

Mizuko POV_

(Ps, thank you for reading, I've had a lot of negative reviews due to the rape and child abuse. Some people just don't read the disclosures. If you made it this far we are finally over the heavier stuff.)

There was nothing I could do, and although it was hard I tried to put it out of my mind.

We were eating dinner. I was sitting with Tadashi and Hisashi at my side so that I could help feed them.

Everyone else was being loud and rowdy. "Kenta, leave Nanami's plate." I scolded him as he was trying to take some of her carrots.

"Mama! No Kenta!" Nanami yelled as she pulled her plate again. "No, no!" She pointed at him angrily.

Fumiko glanced over and tried to grab some of her food.

"Fumiko, no." I scolded and she stared at me for a moment.

"Ryuu, help your sister." I sighed since he was the closest.

"Leave her alone." He swatted at them and picked up her plate. He then set it back down and swatted both Kenta and Fumiko away for good measure. Nanami wrapped her hands around her bowl and kept glaring at them both still angry about the whole ordeal.

Yukio whimpered and I rocked him slightly as I tried to eat.

I turned and gave Tadashi a bit of my food and he happily ate and went back to playing with his toy.

I took another bite before turning to Hisashi, he opened his mouth and I fed him.

They were loud and rowdy. I was happy to see them so full of life and I could feel a small smile on my face.

I rolled up my sleeves and pulled my hair up.

I was scrubbing the floorboards. I had managed to send everyone outside so that they did not run around on the newly cleaned floor.

I could hear them laughing and running outside as I cleaned.

Yukio was in the room sleeping so I was not worried about him since I would still be able to hear him if he woke up.

I was interrupted from my thoughts as there was a knock at the front door.

I glance over and start to get up. I put down the brush and rag.

I stood up and wiped my hands on my apron.

"Be there in a moment." I call out as I hurried to the front door.

"Ye- Akio-san." I gulped as I saw him standing there. My heartfelt like it was beating out of my chest and my eyes widened.

"Please c-come in." I stammer out as I opened the door and stood to the side.

"I know I usually don't visit this early, but I just came back from my mission." He stated and I slowly nodded.

I could feel my cheeks flush as I looked down and noticed my appearance. I looked horrible, my hair was a frizzy mess and my clothes were in disarray.

"So were you injured?" I asked trying to steer the conversation. He shook his head. "Just a high ranking escort. There luckily there was no fighting this time around." He stated as I led him to the dining room.

"That's good, I am sorry for the mess. I was cleaning." I say pushing a strand of my hair back.

"It's not that big of a deal Mizu-chan." He chuckled. "Would you like something to drink?" I asked as we sat down.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He chuckled and I quickly went to brew some tea.

I could feel my body shake slightly, all my previous insecurities rearing their head as I glanced back at him.

"So how has Yukio been?" He asked as I was boiling the water.

"He's bigger, he moves around more. Soon he will be able to start sitting up." I say as I set down his teacup

He placed a hand beneath his chin and smiled at me. "I'm glad to know he is healthy. And what about you. How has your recovery been?" He asked and I blanched.

"I'm well, the doctors have already decided that I would have another baby soon." I stammer out avoiding his gaze. I could feel my hands become twitchy.

He frowned. "What else did they say?"

"T-they mentioned that we aren't compatible. Due to Yukio's albinism. Someone else will be the father." I say as I glance at him, I could see his frown deepen and he placed his hand over mine.

"Don't worry Mizu-chan. I'll talk to them and see what I can do. I won't let them hurt you."

I froze at his words. I turned to him wide-eyed. "They already... I mean I'm already." I stammer out as I looked at him.

My cheeks flushed and I became ashamed and embarrassed. I was already being used, there was nothing of me that remained unbroken.

"It's okay Akio-San, I'm already pregnant." I tried to give him a smile but my face hurt and maintaining it was hard. I looked down trying to hide my tears.

He stayed silent for a while I felt the silence consume me.

With the failed escape plan and capture, they had done things to me that I could have never imagined. I had felt no shame or guilt. I had taken everything in strides not caring as I saw it as a means of survival. but now as I wanted to change and be different. I felt that I didn't add up to being much, insecurities filled me to the brim.

"It's fine though, it's not like I'll ever be normal. My job is to have children for Kusa." I try to reassure him but when I looked at him he was frowning at me. I could feel his uneasiness through his chakra and I could feel my hand's sweat as I fiddled with the hem of my Yukata.

"I hadn't really thought about it like that. I'm sorry that I had never considered what you were going through Mizu-chan." He grabbed my hand and gently pulled me toward him.

He hugged me and I felt myself start to shiver. I don't know why but I could not stop the loud sobs that raked through my body.

I'm not sure why I had done it but I told him of what had been happening.

I told him about the other ninja and how the doctors knew what they had been doing.

They really didn't care, sure I was a key factor to restoring a powerful clan here but my mother had killed so many kusa people and they held those same grudges against me as well.

He didn't say anything, just quietly listened as I rambled on and cried.

That had been a while ago, he had visited often.

I had been shocked when he brought a small bag of milk chocolates. I could still remember the soft taste as it melted in my mouth.

The kids would sometimes approach him but would also keep their distance.

It took some convincing but they were still not too fond of him and it made me sad. But I was sure it was because they weren't used to a man being around them.

To me, his chakra was pleasant to be around. Especially since he did not seem to hate us.

We didn't really sleep together in any sexual way for a while.

He did let me cuddle against him and would gently stroke my hair.

Karin had pointed out that I seemed calmer and I also felt calmer.

Before I knew it a few months passed and I was seven months pregnant.

For a while, it had felt like everything was fine. But as I watched my children play and run around I was reminded that even if things were momentarily alright it would not always be like this. We still had to leave Kusa.

I went into early labor and was once again in the hospital.

Doctors were once again surrounding me and I found myself pushing and breathing heavily.

This had been the longest birth, apparently, we were almost 24 hours in and I still hadn't been able to birth my child.

I could remember the flashes of pain and I got a contraction and was trying to push. The doctors seemed to finally try and help some. They had put an iv on me and apparently some pain medication.

Before I knew it I pushed and felt a wave of relief as I heard the doctors pick the baby up.

"A girl!" I heard one of them say.

From then it was a blur. A day or so had passed and I was cradling Hayami. She had soft silky curly hair and was a light shade of pink. Alike her siblings she had bright red hair and I was happy to have her.

I waited until I was released from the hospital before using my chakra to heal myself.

Everyone was excited to meet Hayami. She was a quiet baby and a bit fussy.

I easily took care of her and was back on my feet.

"Karin! Ryuu and Nanami. If you three don't stop throwing mudballs I'm going to spank your behinds." I cried out angrily from the porch.

Karin stuck her tongue out and ran off laughing to hide from me.

Both Nanami and Ryuu followed. "Ooo nana, ryuu and Kari run away." Kenta laughed as he was playing with Fumiko.

I sighed and huffed. Tadashi and Hisashi and Yukio were playing with blocks silently at my feet.

I sighed and huffed. "You all can't behave."

Hayami started to cry and I quickly began breastfeeding her.

"Mama, look. I have baby too." Fumiko smiled holding up her baby doll and I smiled at her.

"Wow, that's great fu-chan."

"Me too." Kenta smiled holding another doll up. "It a baby." He smiled rocking the doll back and forth.

"You have a pretty baby kenta-chan." I added with a nod and they both giggled.

I stopped when Hisashi started to cry loudly. Yukio stared wide-eyed as his brother cried.

"Awe baby come here." I cooed and he got up and walked toward me. I pulled him into a one-armed hug and noticed a big red mark where it seemed like Yukio threw the block at him.

"Oh baby, let me give it a kiss." I say placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

He cried for a bit longer and I stayed with them outside until I went back in to cook dinner.

When he arrived later that night I had been taken back.

With the kids asleep I quietly greeted him and let him in.

He gave me a soft warm smile and we talked throughout the night.

Before I knew it we were locked away in the room. His calloused hands running down my body and his soft words whispering sweet nothings to me.

It was different than when it was with someone else. There was passion and soft slow kisses that we exchanged. And afterward, I would lay in his arms and let myself bask in his chakra.

"Mizu-chan. If I were to ask you to leave with me, would you?" He asked and I froze.

"What do you mean Akio-san?" I asked as I look up at him. "Me, you and yukio. We could leave." He whispered and I looked down at his toned chest running my finger down it.

"I could never leave the rest of my children though. They are all mine.but if we were to leave where would we go anyway?" I asked as I tried to feel his chakra to see if he was lying but it felt so sincere.

"If we took them all and escape to the iron country. Or maybe the land of hot springs. Would you come?" He asked and I stayed silent.

"Akio-San. To be with you and my children. I would go to the end of the world and risk it all." I mumble as I snuggle into his chest.

And so I steeled myself.

We had a month to prepare. I cooked and prepared food for us to eat on the trip. I made small seals to hid our chakra and hair, but I prepared in silence.

He would take us away and I was willing to go. He said when everything was ready he would come back and we would leave.

Time ticked by and I made sure everyone had clothes sealed away. We still had a lot of things we had packed from the first attempt.

I was terrified. Would we be able to escape? Would I be able to risk it? But as I watched them play outside without a care in the world it solidified my resolve.

I closed my heart and knew that I would do anything for them.

He came at night. I woke up Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, and Nanami. I placed silencing seals on Fumiko, Tadashi, Hisashi, Yukio, and Hayami.

I made Karin carry Tadashi, Ryuu carry Hisashi and Kenta carry Yukio.

I wrapped Hayami in front of me and Fumiko on my back.

"Where are we going, mama?" Karin asked in confusion. "We are leaving Kusa." I whispered back. Akio was at the door waiting for us.

"We can't. They'll catch us again." Ryuu stammered out as he tugged on my Yukata.

I looked down at their pale faces and gritted my teeth.

"This is our final attempt. I swore to get us out and I will do so." I hissed out and grabbed their hands.

"Ready to go?" Akio asked as he was fully geared in his ninja clothes. I nodded as he led us through the night.

I tried to steady my breathing. It was like before. Moving through the night and leaving.

Unlike last time we did not run into anyone. He did not let us rest. I was barely able to make Nanami keep up with us.

She was smaller and was exhausted. I finally decided to pick her up and carry her.

It wasn't long before she dozed off.

Karin was deadly silent, grunting at odd times and neither Ryuu or Kenta looked any better. I could see that their siblings weight was tiring them out.

"We will take a ten-minute break." He stated and we nearly all collapsed.

As the kids rested I changed Tadashi, Hisashi, Yukio and Hayami's diapers. I started breastfeeding Hayami and feeding everyone. Luckily I had some jam and bread.

They ate silently and drank their water. Akio then instructed us back up and once again we were on the move.

We crossed a river and walked in it for a while so that our scent was lost.

The kids had enjoyed it but were forced to be quiet and hurry.

Once we were out of the cold water we were jogging again.

I was parched and tired. It had nearly been a full 24 hours since we last slept.

Kenta and Ryuu were nearly stumbling by now. Nanami was hardly moving and quietly crying, but we trailed behind him.

Karin was trying to stay strong but I could tell she was worn out as well.

Night came and we were starving. We had only had water breaks and only Yukio, and Hayami had eaten.

Akio finally led us to a cave and told us to wait there until he returned.

We rested that night. I made sure we all ate well and drank plenty of water. I had sealed gallons of water in the flasks we were carrying.

I had wanted to stay awake and take watch but I soon also fell asleep in exhaustion.

When we awoke I was busy feeding them and keeping them quiet. We flinched at every noise and I had made sure to rub and tend to their blistered feet.

I had become worried the longer Akio-San was gone. It had nearly been a whole day.

When he did return it was at night.

"I faked your deaths. Burned the house down and made it look accidental." He stated and I was taken back.

"They still are trying to find out what happened. We have a bit longer and hopefully, they don't start searching for you."

With that said we moved more diligently. Hope rekindled inside me and I held onto his hand tightly.

A few more days passed and we were finally far enough that we started to change our appearance.

"I can use seals." I say to him and his eyes widened.

"What?" He looked at me confused. "Yeah, my mother was a Jonin guard of the head family. She was a seal master and she taught me as much as she could before she passed away. Sadly during the invasion, she was poisoned and her chakra system damaged. Had she been well we would have never been kidnapped." I say unsealing slips of paper and placing them at the base of everyone's neck.

Their hair turned dark brown and I smiled.

"Are you a seal master then? " he asked and I smiled at him and nodded.

"Mizu-chan that's great." He chuckled patting my head. "I knew it was a good idea to bring you along. " I smile and blush as I summoned a brush and began hiding the kid's chakra.

"We will be heading to Kumo. With all of us, they will be sure to give us asylum." He stated and I glanced up at him.

"Kumo? Why Kumo? Why not the land of hot spring. It's far enough from here." I asked confused. "Well, they do take in people with bloodlines. And with you by my side, we will start our own clan there. Yukio will be our clan heir too." He smirked as he stood up.

"Now come on. We must hurry we have around three more weeks before we are at the edge of the land of grass." He stated and I nodded.

I watched him from behind and stared at him. A clan? In Kumo?

They hate us, they'll no doubt be worse than Kusa.

I glanced at the children and noticed Ryuu's troubled look. I had felt it as well, that tint of greed in his chakra.

They say love is like pink-tinted glasses. Sadly that means we cannot see the red flags.

I had been more cautious now. Even as he led us to the edge of the land of grass I watched him.

The tics that I had once liked, now seemed possessive. His disregard to my children's well being except for Yukio, was troubling, the double-edged meaning to the things he would say was also troubling.

I could feel it in his chakra, maybe this had been the reason the kids kept their distance.

It was heartbreaking, but I knew one thing for sure. We would never go to Kumo.

Days passed and I made sure to watch the kids.

He would say that we were closer. He had let it slip that it would have been easier if it had just been Yukio, him and I.

I was troubled. And quickly picked up in his biased behavior.

He had told Kenta to be more careful with Yukio. Nearly making my baby cry as he scolded him.

I was making my mind up fast.

As soon as we were out of the country Akio had to go. He was dangerous and a danger to us as well.

And it hurt so much to realize this about a man I loved so much. I wanted to give him more of a chance but there were no second chances, we were all in danger and I was well aware of it.

All we were doing was jogging and walking.

Fumiko, Tadashi, and Hisashi would also walk when we were going at a slow pace.

He mentioned that he had prepared a wagon with a horse to make our trip to Kumo faster.

He also had a map with him. We would make it without him once we were out of the country.

Once again we were at a cave.

The wagon was large enough that we would fit inside.

It had large wooden wheels and an ivory cloth over the top.

Once we rested we would head out to Kumo.

We had snuck by Kusa's last outpost and were currently on the edge of the fire country.

My heart fluttered. Eight years I had dreamed of leaving the land of grass and it had finally came true.

"Thank you." I say as tears swelled in my eyes. I got on my toes and kissed him deeply.

"What do you say Karin watches the children for the night, Mizu-chan?" He asked and I blushed and nodded.

"Karin stay in the wagon, we will be in the cave. Unless it is a life and death emergency no one comes to the cave." I say and she gave me an odd look but nodded.

I followed him in and he lit a small fire.

As he did that I made sure to check my seals and place down the sleeping bag. I unzipped it so we could both lay down.

We ate a bit and then I found his lips against mine as he kissed me deeply.

The kiss was feverish and desperate. I made sure to pump my chakra through him and he seemed to come alive.

His hot mouth left dark bite marks down my body. Rough hands fondled my breast and brought me close to him.

I let out soft moans and pleads. I rubbed myself against him and rocked my body against his, both of us desperate to reach our orgasms.

I watched him through hazy eyes and kissed his lips mumbling my love for him. I could hear him moan my name and promise me the world.

I had pushed my chakra into him until his eyes were dilated and he could barely mumble my name. I kissed him and ignored how he had become sloppier and sat on his lap pushing him down as I rode him.

He was a moaning mess gripping my hips and letting his hands squeeze my ample breasts.

I burned his blissful expression into my memory and let the tears of pain and pleasure run down my cheeks.

When we tired I collapsed beside him and laid by his side as he fell into a deep sleep. I looked at my hands with paralysis seals and just stared at them as he slept peacefully beside me.

I kissed his lips and ran my hands through his hair making sure that my the neurotransmitters would affect him to the point that he would be incapable of fighting.

Slowly I pressed my hands on his chest. "Uzumaki style, Fuin: seal of the serpent." I whispered as he slowly opened his eyes as the seal spread throughout his body.

His body was still and he was barely conscious with the amount of chakra I had poured into him.

I picked up his kunai pouch and slid one out. The metal felt heavy in my hands and I let out a soft cry.

I gently stroked his face as I sobbed placing a last kiss on his lips.

I stared at his bare chest and clutched the Kunai.

I lifted up and let out a sob. The world was unfair. I will never let an enemy of Uzushiogakure have her secrets. My children will live somewhere safe where we won't be used as breeding tools. And we will not be used for his benefit no matter how much I loved him and my heart wanted to justify him.

The moment lasted forever as I struck down. I could hear the flesh against metal as I slammed the kunai down repeatedly. His soft groans of pain filled my ears and I sobbed louder, hot blood covered my hands.

"Akio, I loved you so much. Why would you want to use us." I let out a cry as I didn't stop.

I didn't stop and when I did I was filled with an eerie silence.

I stared in horror and dropped the kunai. "Akio. AKIO!!!" I screamed shaking him. My breath hitched as I no longer felt his soft chakra.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I loved you so much yet." I sobbed louder as I looked at my blood cover hands.

I stayed there until the morning sun lit up the cave. He was dead.

I had planned this from the moment I had laid eyes on him. I was never meant to love him. But maybe in another life. We would be able to be together. But my dream was to make it to the mask temple. To be with other Uzumaki. To be safe, to find a home and it was now or never.

I wonder, did he ever love me? Or did he think I was a perfect bargaining chip to become a Kumo ninja? Would he trade us in for asylum even after betraying Kusa?

I would never know. But that was fine, I would keep my family safe.

We bathed in a nearby river. Ryuu, Kenta, and Karin were shocked when they saw me covered in blood.

We replenished our water, bathed and cleaned our clothes.

I sealed his body away and tossed it in the fire. But I kept his long pants and shirt. I tapped them so that they would fit and kept his weapons.

I kept his Kusa headband as well. And with that, we left the clearing and began our long trek to konoha.

We traveled for a long time, passing through towns. It took a while but Ryuu, Karin and I were the only ones that could drive the wagon.

Throughout the day we moved at a steady pace and the kids would walk alongside the wagon and play. At night we would get off the road and hide. I would make a small fire and we would sleep out in the open or in the wagon.

I had also taken to adding seals to our wagon. The kids all had their own storage seal on the wood where they could unseal their clothes or favorite toys.

The cloth top was reinforced with integrate waterproof seals and the wood wheels reinforced so that they would not break.

It was relaxing and we were all happy. Sure we ate the same food daily and I was the only one to enter towns and bought food but that was fine.

I tried my best to not think of Akio-San. It still hurt to say his name to think of him. But I would not allow him to use us. So he had to go.

"By the sea, we make our home. The ocean breeze is all we know oh as we dance underneath the bright night skies, for all we love, for young and old we dance and sing. We sing and dance!" Karin sang loudly as she steered the wagon.

I was carefully drawing the seals on Hisashi. I had placed the tracking seal on Tadashi and Hayami already and he was the last one to be marked.

"Nooo, nooo." Tadashi squealed as he fought with Fumiko who was laughing loudly.

"I am trying to concentrate, stop fighting. Fu-chan go sit with Karin now." I huffed as I turned to her and she crossed her arms.

"Kenta, take Tadashi out and make him walk. I don't need to hear him yelling anymore." I added.

"Yes, mama." He replied. "Come Tadashi." Kenta turned to his brother.

Tadashi sneered and crossed his arms. "Nooooo. No.no no! Was Fumiko! She was!" He yelled angrily at his brother I could feel Tadashi's chakra spike up in anger.

"Tadashi, you go with your nii-chan. Now!" I point at him as I placed my hand on my hip and frowned at him.

Tadashi blinked and started to cry loudly.

I let out a sigh. "Come here." I say opening my arms and he ran toward me rubbing his face on my chest while crying. I patted his back and sighed as he got snot on my shirt.

"You need to stop fighting with everyone." I tell him and I glanced at Hisashi who was squirming slightly.

"Now I have to finish your brother's seal. Go with Kenta nii-chan." I say and he sniffled and went quietly.

I let out a sigh and went back to drawing the seals.

"Ooo mama got mad." Nanami whispered to Ryuu and he nodded. I sighed as those two gossiped quietly.

"After I'm done with this we will fix your hair. So go get the comb and make sure to finger detangle. And add oil to it as well. Your hair is dry as it is. Then go help your sister wash her hair as well. I'll do Tadashi's hair when he calms down." I say to Ryuu.

"Okay, I'll go do that." He nodded and went to the front of the wagon.

It took another half an hour but soon I was finished.

"Uzumaki style, Fuin: seal of a thousand eyes." I say as the seal compressed itself to the freckle on his wrist.

"Alright, up you go." I sigh picking Hisashi up and began dressing him. He giggled.

"I play?" He asked and I sighed and nodded.

"Nanami, take Hisashi outside with Kenta and Tadashi." I say as I gently kneel at the side of my neck. It had been hard to draw the seal due to the movement in the wagon.

I gently pushed chakra in my hands. I had been practicing my wood style to make things we needed.

Slowly I molded my chakra, it was a wide-tooth comb and I smiled as I finished it. I then made another one but fine tooth and thin to better section the hair.

"Ryuu! Fumiko!" I called out and they both came inside the wagon.

"Who's going first?" I ask and Ryuu stepped up.

"I'm still detangling her hair." He stated as he sat in front of me. Fumiko sat in front of him and let him detangle her hair as she played with a doll.

I sighed as I saw his hair. It was a large bright red afro and I quickly got to work.

"So let's see what design I'll do." I say as I start combing and parting his hair.

We were near a river and I was fishing. Everyone was tired of eating rations and were making it known. Also, the next town was a few days away.

"Kenta and Ryuu go collect firewood, take one kunai each. Remember they are very sharp so no horsing around. If you see anything suspicious you come right back." I say sternly and they both looked excited.

"I'm serious! And if you get hurt you come back immediately. The only reason you are taking one is for if you see an animal or someone tries to attack you." I add and they both look up at me with hopeful eyes.

I sighed and look at them. "Hurry along." I tell them and they start cheering and high fiving as they walked to the wagon.

"Why do we have to stay mama" Nanami groaned as she saw both of them leave.

"They're boys. If they encounter someone they might be able to handle themselves. And they are older than you." I say to her and she huffed.

Fumiko was watching them leave as well. "I wanna go." She huffed and I quickly told them no.

"Karin, Fumiko, Nanami. Take the kids and wash them, while you're at it bathe as well." I say and they nodded.

Karin picked up Hayami and quickly started to take them all down the stream.

"Make sure there are trees nearby. And one of you take the tanto. If any pervert comes by you cut right through them." I call out and Nanami cheered as she went to the wagon to get their clothes, towels and probably the tanto.

I Iet out a sigh as I look back out to the river to see I had caught something.

"Nanami, Fumiko. Pay attention, you have to learn your seals." I growl as I hit them on the top of their head.

"Mama you're so cruel!" Nanami huffed and I let out a sigh. "Just practice your calligraphy! I don't want to hear any excuses.

"Ryuu, Kenta. You two also better be studying. I will quiz you as well. And if I catch any of you slacking I'll make you walk all day tomorrow. Believe it!" I hiss out as I walked to the front to and take the reins from Karin and she quickly went to study her seals as well.

I sigh as I looked out into the distance. A smile made it's way to my face.

It had been about four months since we left Kusa and two months since Akio. I felt free.

Sure traveling with a wagon full of rowdy stubborn kids who would fight about everything and anything was a bit hard.

But I could see the difference. Being away from Kusa they seemed to finally come out of their shells.

Before we were glared at and oppressed even in our small home. To be honest I don't think I knew the names of half of the people I talked to.

It was always doctor, nurse, ninja or Akio. The few names I did know was because I'd overhear conversations and they would just fade back to their normal title of Nurse, Doctor or Ninja.

We passed villages and I made a few ryo by making wood plates, vases, combs, chopsticks, and other household items and selling them as if I was a merchant. The kids stayed in the wagon with the flaps closed.

I still was a bit paranoid so I usually didn't let them speak to the people but I found it odd at how they spoke to me with such ease.

I was not used to people telling me their names and having to introduce myself. I had used the name Chiyo as a cover and told them my children were shy.

But after passing a few towns I let them out. And they were like little hellspawn. They played with all of the kids in the village and made new friends.

I had tried to set up a buddy system but it was no use they went exploring and at the end of the day I had to hunt them down. I was really happy that I had placed that seal on them.

I smiled as I watched them wave goodbye at some of the friends they met and we continued onward.

We had come to a stop. We pulled out of the main road and I had tied the horse to a tree. I placed concealment seals around us and quickly started to cook. We all sat around the fire as we got ready for bed.

"Go to the bathroom. We won't be coming back out till tomorrow morning." I say with a yawn.

Yukio climbed to my lap and laid down, I softly patted his head and hummed.

"Ooo mama can you dance for us?" Kenta asked excitedly and I blushed. "Right now?" I ask and he nodded. "Please!" He begged and I sighed as I stood up.

I removed Hayami from my back and handed her to Ryuu.

I sang loud and clear as I danced to the old Uzumaki song.

Karin started singing along and then everyone else joined in by singing or dancing.

I could feel their chakras buzz happily as we danced beneath the moonlight. Free, we had truly been freed.

It was our sixth month out of kusa and fourth without Akio-san.

Kusa felt like a long lost memory. Hayami was now seven months almost eight. She was bright loud and bubbly.

Life was much simpler as we traveled through the land of fire.

I could only hope that Konoha became our new home. The last thing I needed was another disappointment.

"Alright, we are staying here. Ryuu help me strap the horse and let it rest. Karin and Kenta. Gather firewood and stay nearby. Nanami, Fumiko go ahead and start bringing out the laundry. The sun is nice and bright its laundry day, and make sure to unseal all the dirty dishes you guys are gonna help me wash them all!" I call out as I stopped the wagon.

We all piled out of the wagon leaving only Yukio and Hayami in there where they could crawl around and play.

I could hear their groans and I placed my hands on my hips.

"If this laundry doesn't get done y'all will be running around naked. And we have way too many wooden dishes. They have to get washed." I say loudly as Ryuu followed beside me as he helped me get the horse ready to rest. I brought it a bucket of water and made tall grass grow for him.

Piles of dirty stinky clothes were piled by the river bank and everyone was gathering around to help us.

I made sure to keep an eye on their seals just in case and quickly began looking around to see if there was anything edible.

I was able to find some nice plants that would go well with some spices and maybe some fish. I placed them all in the empty Kunai pouch I had and quickly found my way back to the river bank.

"Mama, we have the firewood." Kenta smiled widely and I nodded.

"Alright before we use the water to wash or bathe let's fill the canteens first. Then everyone is helping with the dishes and laundry." I say as I placed the wild plants in the pot to wash and cook later.

I let nanami watch Yukio and Hayami in the wagon and stayed to wash the dirty laundry.

I used two trees and ninja wire to hang our clothes. I was happy to be washing them and drying them out. I was getting tired of smelling small sweaty children throughout the ride.

After they finished their chores and were playing in the water and bathing I went ahead and started to scrub the dirty floorboards of the wagon.

I cleaned the cloth that covered the top of the wagon on the outside and the inside thoroughly. There was build-up dirt, spit, food and god knows what else in there. They were all very messy sometimes and I made sure to check their seals to see if they had left anything unclean.

I found two more shirts and quickly washed them as well, before hanging them out to dry.

I let out a long sigh as I looked around and noticed I could cook, but I really wanted a bath.

I quickly started dinner and finished it up quickly. We still had some beef from the last town we had been in and the rice was nearly all cooked.

I noticed that they were coming out of the river to come sit around the campfire and eat.

I helped the smaller ones dry and dressed them in whatever clothes were dry.

Thankfully the sun out and it was hot enough to finish drying the futons as well. I smile as I aired them out and rolled them back up.

The kids ate and chatted loudly. They ate like it was their last meal or something. I had finished eating and went down to the river to bathe. I washed my long brown hair and used soap to wash myself.

I was sweaty from cooking near the hot flames and was happy to be washing all of the grime off my body.

I set aside the pants and shirt by a rock near the bank and hummed as I bathed and kept an eye out for any people approaching us.

I could see the kids run around and play after eating. Everything was fine until I felt unfamiliar chakra signatures approach us.

I quickly got out of the water and dressed. "Karin!Ryuu!Kenta! Get everyone over here! Someone is here!" I yelled and they came to a stop.

They grabbed their smaller siblings and rushed towards me. I grabbed the tanto and looked around.

"Who's there!" I yelled as I felt them approach. I could feel their low chakra reserves and the malice in them.

"We are just looking around. No need to get defensive." A man called out as he came out of the woods.

"Leave, there's nothing for you here. We have no money." I say sternly as I gripped my tanto.

"Ah, you see one of my men told me there was a beautiful water nymph by the river and I am looking for it. Make it keep me warm at night." The man smirked and his companions chuckled.

I glare at him and pulsed my chakra. I tried to push my anger and killing intent out. "Leave, there is nothing for you here." I say sternly as I glared at him.

I was terrified, I could not fight so at the moment I was bluffing. But luckily they weren't near our wagon and although we had nowhere to run but to the river behind us I could probably make this work.

"Karin, Ryuu unseal you brushes ink and scrolls. I need you to prepare a fire and brimstone seal. Make sure to level it at 90 degrees with a 90 blast radius." I whisper as the men were approaching us.

"But mama, we can't just create a seal." Ryuu stammered out, I could hear the fear in his voice.

"You can, and will. I think I have an attack I can use but if it does not work completely, I will need that seal. I am not fast enough to create it myself while keeping a defense." I whisper back.

"You won't mind, will you? Being my bitch for the night?" He asked smiling widely as he licked his lips.

"Wood style: sage's lance!" I drop the tanto and slammed my hands to the ground.

I molded my chakra feeling it swirl inside me as I concentrated on their chakra signatures and pushed large wooden spikes toward them.

I could hear their loud cries of pain and I winced.

I opened my eyes and saw some of them had gotten away and I hissed.

"Karin, Ryuu!" I call out and they quickly passed the scroll to me. I only had a moment to glance at it and smirked at the beautiful detail and artwork of the seal. The way the perfect chemical reaction was placed and calculated.

"Uzumaki style, Fuin; fire and brimstone!" I yell a large blast burst out of the scroll. I felt small hands push me from behind and hold me steady as the blast rung through the clearing.

I could smell the charred flesh and felt their chakra vanish. There were scorch marks on the trees and the grass had been burnt off.

"Amazing! A beautiful seal indeed." I exclaim as I turned the scroll around to see the seal.

I glanced back to see the kids still looking at the destruction with wide eyes.

I glance back and frown.

"Let's get out of here. Start packing now." I say picking up Hayami and Yukio.

We had left that place and did not stop moving for three whole days.

I only let the horse rest for 3 hours every 12 hours throughout that time.

I did not want to know if there were more bandits in the area.

I quietly studied the map. We were going to arrive to konoha soon. After months of travel, we were almost there.

I placed my hand on my stomach and rubbed it gently.

It had been eight months since we left kusa and six months since Akio.

I was well aware that I was pregnant with his child and although I still felt sadness over him it had dulled a lot.

I had loved him. I can admit to that. But I was pretty sure he did not love me back the same way. Maybe at first, he did but I think his opinion of me changed when I told him about Hayami.

He had been upset and I guess he decided that maybe I was not worth it.

Kumo would have not been kind to us and I was sure that I would be raped there as well. My clan had been the one to cause them so much loss back in the war.

Karin was also going to be eight soon, Ryuu would be seven, Kenta six, Nanami five, Fumiko four, Tadashi and Hisashi three, Yukio would be two and Hayami was turning one soon.

They were much bigger now, it seemed like yesterday little Karin had just been brought to me.

I was also happy we were out of Kusa, they had been planning to take Nanami away at the age of six and now they would not be able to.

"Mama, we killed them." I heard Karin say softly as she sat beside me while I steered the carriage.

"You mean the bandits?" I asked her and she nodded with a frown.

"Honey, sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do, to protect the ones we love. " I say with a sigh.

"It was them or us. I chose us and I fought back." I say and she glanced at me.

"Did lady also make choices like that?" She asked and I glanced at her.

"You might not remember much of her, maybe you can only remember her singing you songs and telling your stories. Mothers name had been Rumi Uzumaki. She had once been a ninja for our homeland." I say as I glance back and noticed everyone was listening.

"Mother had lost a lot, her home, then her husband and finally her dignity. She fell into a horrible depression and gave up after Kusa ninja broke her feet so that she couldn't escape. With crippled feet and an old war injury that destroyed her chakra system. She was mentally defeated." I say as I look out into the road.

"For the longest time, she hated you guys. She would hurl things at you and curse at you guys loudly when you cried. From you to Nanami she never was fond of you kids. She was miserable and she let it out on everyone. I took a few hits as well ya know."

"But when I gave her paper, ink and a brush she came back to life. Before I knew it she was approaching you and Ryuu and she apologized to me letting me know that she didn't hate you guys. She was just miserable in Kusa and that she was happy to see you singing and dancing Uzu songs and temple dances. She tried to get us out of kusa. I remember her running and fighting. She tried her best and she made sure to make Kusa pay with blood for the pain they caused her. Alike our kin when the invasion occurred she set the village ablaze and they came to hate us for it. She made me swear I would get you guys out, she also wanted us to never share our clan secrets with Kusa. She begged me to promise her that. "

"In the end, they cut off her feet and broke her hands. She couldn't handle it mentally and she just broke. I think she lost her will to live after birthing Tadashi. I remember seeing her in the hospital bed. I took a lock of her hair so that we can make a mask for her when we get to the temple. They burned her body and I tried to scatter her ashes as far from kusa as I could. " I finish saying.

"Mother Rumi then." Karin said sadly as she glanced at me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I wish she could be here. She spent her final days locked in a cell and chained up. She deserved a better life and death. A woman who lost everything. A strong Uzushiogakure ninja to the very end." I say patting her head.

"Just like mother did for me, I will also fight and protect you guys. So yes we killed them but I will always put you kids first. No bandit will hurt my children. Not when I can fight them with the little strength I have."

Days went by and they asked for stories of mother. I told them of my father as well. Daiki Senju, I did not remember much of him

Most of my memories of my father were of his hazel eyes and warm earthy chakra. The kisses he'd place on my cheeks and how much he loved my mother.

They had asked if they had fathers as well and I told them I did not know them. The only man I had really spoken with was Akio-san. Which was Yukio's and my unborn child's father.

I was quick to reassure them they did not need one. They had been Kusa ninja and were not worth being their fathers.

They still seemed upset so I had reminded them that it did not matter, they were Uzumaki. Our blood ran strong through us enough that those men were irrelevant.

It had lifted their spirits up.

I was listening to them bicker when tall gates loomed in front of us.

Konoha. I felt tears gather in my eyes. "Get the color-changing seals off and unseal all of your chakra suppressors! "

"We are here! Konoha is up ahead!" I yell and I could hear them scramble to take a look outside.

"Wow! Is this where lady Kushina lives?" Karin gasped in awe as the village was coming to view.

I could hear their cries of awe and astonishment. I couldn't hell the sobs that escaped my mouth as I undid my own seals and my red hair cascaded down my back.

"Stay here!" I yell out as we were close enough to the booth by the entrance.

"Welcome to konoha. May I get your travel papers?" a man with a goatee, spikey hair and a bandage over his nose spoke with a smile on his face as he noticed me.

"H-hello, m-my name is M-Mizuko Uzumaki. My children and I are seeking asylum here in your Village. We don't have p-papers or anything like that. But I-if you can get someone from our clan, we can prove our identities as part of the Uzumaki clans second guard branch of the family."

And cut! This is nearly 8,500 words.

I know this is what we HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR BUT THE CHAPTER IS TOO LONG AND I HAVE TO GO TO WORK SOON.

next chapter will up soon give me a bit since this will be hard to write out.

Comment what you think. Also, comments make me excited and update faster!

Rosymalik


	8. Chapter Seven: Family

Mizuko POV_

"H-hello, m-my name is M-Mizuko Uzumaki. My children and I are seeking asylum here in your Village. We don't have p-papers or anything like that. But I-if you can get someone from our clan, we can prove our identities as part of the Uzumaki clans second guard branch of the family." I say timidly.

This was it we were finally here in Konoha and I was talking to Konoha Ninja and I couldn't help but stutter out my greeting.

"Wait. Repeat your name again?" The man with the with brown silky hair and bandana asked.

"Mizuko Uzumaki." I say after taking a deep breath.

They glanced at each other and nodded. "What is the name of the family member you have living here in Konoha?" The one wearing the bandage on his nose asked.

"L-Lady Kushina Uzumaki. She was really young when she moved here. But I'm sure she knew my mother Rumi Uzumaki." I say nervously.

"Alright, we can definitely check and see what we can do for you. But before we can let you in we will need to check your luggage, to make sure you aren't smuggling anything in. By the way, I'm Kotetsu and this is Izumo." Kotetsu stated as they were exiting the booth.

"Of course Kotetsu-san." I say with a nod as they followed me to the wagon. "Everyone out." I say as the two ninja stood behind me ready to inspect the luggage.

Quietly the kids started to get out of the wagon. "Wow, look!" Hisashi pointed at the walls as he looked up.

I smiled as I picked up Hayami and placed her on my hip.

I could see them glance at the kids and back at me and my face flushed. They probably found it odd because I looked so young and there were nine children all very close in age, and being that I was the mother just made me feel a bit bashful.

"There's nothing here." Izumo stated looking inside the wagon.

"Did you not bring anything with you?" Kotetsu asked as he turned to look at me.

I could feel my cheeks in embarrassment as I remembered everything was sealed away.

"Oh wait." I say turning to Kenta who was the closest. "Hold her for a minute." I say handing Hayami over to him.

"Excuse me." I say as I climbed onto the wagon. I placed my hands together and concentrated my chakra. I slammed my hands inside the wagon.

"Uzumaki style, Fuin: release!" I yell as all of the kids' seals opened up.

Piles of clean folded clothes were now visible and washed plates, chopsticks, and toys.

There was a large pile of dirty clothes and of dirty dishes in one corner of the wagon.

They both stared at me wide-eyed and I flushed. "There, that's most of our things." I say climbing down from the wagon.

"Any other large sealing arrangements like that?" Kotetsu asked as he looked inside the wagon which was now filled with things.

"Yeah, what about that? That looks suspicious and deadly." Izumo pointed up at the inside of the ceiling where I had drawn the complicated waterproofing seal.

"Oh, that's not a storage seal. It repels water so that way we don't get wet." I say as I look up inside the wagon.

"Hmmm, okay. Any other seals on this wagon?" Kotetsu asked and I nodded.

"I have quite a few. There's a double spiral 15 piece seal on each wheel to reinforce them

And at the bottom of the wagon. But everything else is sealed within us." I say as I look at them.

Izumo nods. "Uzumaki seals?" He asked and I nod.

"You said sealed within you please elaborate." Kotetsu turned to me with a cocked brow.

"Complex seals on our bodies holding things. I would show you but they are only to be unsealed in the Mask Temple." I say as I fidgeted with my hands.

They glanced at each other and nodded. "Stay here with Izumo. I will see if we can get you an audience and asylum." Kotetsu stated as he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"So where do you guys come from?" He asked and the kids hid behind me looking at him curiously.

I look back at them, they were still a bit afraid of shinobi. But being that Ninja were never nice to them in Kusa explains their unease.

"My mother and father lived in the land of iron. Due to unfortunate circumstances my mother and I were forcefully relocated to Kusa. We left and came here to seek asylum. " I say being brief about my explanation.

I could see his brow rise at my comment. I'm pretty sure he could piece together what happened. Being from a clan that had nearly been extinct and forcefully taken to a shinobi village, and ending up with nine children. It was easy to see what had happened.

I could see the slight pity in his eyes as he nodded. "I see. Any other key information we must know. Any people pursuing you that we have to be aware of?" He asked and I slightly shrug.

"I think, they think we are dead." I say and he nods slowly.

"I'm not too sure. But we would prefer for them to never know we are here. I am a civilian, I can't really fight or do much other than seals for protection. And due to my mother, they really aren't that fond of us." I say nervously.

"What did she do?" He asked one Nanami pipped up.

"Lady made Kusa go boom! And she was really strong. Right mama?" She smiled as she tugged on my pants.

"Go boom?" Izumo looked confused.

"It's a long story, but the gist of it is that-" Kotetsu arrived at that moment and I was cut off.

"You guys can go ahead. I will lead you to our Hokage tower. Since you have no papers we will have to interview you to make sure you are who you say you are." He stated and I nodded.

They then proceeded to check through our things and I sealed them back where they belonged using the array in one large seal instead of individually.

The way it had been set up was each of the kids had their own seal, with their little skills they could seal and unseal them. I was the only one skilled enough to use all 15 storage seals at once.

I quickly got everyone back in the wagon and Kotetsu began leading us in through the gates.

The kids watched in awe as we entered what would be our new home.

I could see them pointing out places, buildings, and greeting people.

I was quietly observing everything around me. I was a bit overwhelmed at the amount of large and powerful chakra signatures around me.

Kusa had been a ninja village but nowhere near the size of Konoha.

"Mama, there are so many people." Nanami squealed as she looked around.

"Yeah." I say as I look around as I steered the wagon to follow Izumo.

"There are too many people. I don't think Hayami likes it. I think she is overwhelmed with the chakra signatures."Karin called out as Hayami was sniffling and trying to hide in her arms.

"Bring her here." I say patting my lap. Karin picked her little sister up with ease and placed her on my lap.

With ease, I held onto her with one hand. I started to mold chakra inside me and began pulsing it in and out.

With my large chakra reserves, it was easy for me to create waves of my chakra around me and I was using it to overpower the signatures so that she didn't feel angsty.

"What are you doing?" Kotetsu had quickly turned to look at me.

"My daughter is having a hard time being surrounded by so much chakra. She hasn't had much exposure to large crowds so she is very sensitive to it. I am trying to calm her with my chakra." I say nervously, I hope I wasn't doing something wrong.

"So you are pulsing your chakra like that?" He asked in disbelief and I nodded.

"Even I felt that and I'm not a sensor. You do know you are releasing a lot of chakra?" He asked.

"Yes, that's the point." I say with a nod. The kids had gathered around the front of the wagon to bask in my chakra.

"Mama's chakra is the best. Ain't that right ninja-san?" Fumiko says as she leaned forward and smiled.

He glanced at Fumiko who is smiling widely. I could feel her chakra fluttering in happiness.

"Alright, we are here. You can park your wagon over here." He led us to an area and helped tie the horse up.

I couldn't help but stare at the large red building.

"Wow!" Fumiko smiles widely.

"Hold hands I don't want anyone getting lost." I say and they quickly listened.

Kotetsu quickly led us in and we went on the third floor to a small office.

"Alright, so Uzumaki right?" The lady in the front office stated looking over at us.

"I have the paperwork here if you would not mind filling out. It's just to get your name, age, and general information." She says while handing me a stack of papers and a pen.

"You can sit at that table." She quickly points to the table across the room.

"Can I get four more pens?" I ask and she nods giving them to me.

"Thank you." I say with a nod and we quickly go and take a seat.

I scan over the papers and split them into ten different stacks.

"Fumiko watch Yukio, Hayami, Hisashi, and Tadashi while we work on this." I say and she quickly crosses her arms.

"Why can't I help? I can read and write to mama." She huffs loudly.

"Fumiko. Watch your siblings. I'm not saying it again. Besides we will get done in a bit." I say as I turned back to Kenta, Karin, Ryuu, and Nanami.

"You four are going to help me fill this out. I'll do my own and you will do yours as well. Then we will go ahead and do everyone else's. If you don't know something ask me." I say while handing them the pens.

It took about an hour but we filled everything we could out.

For me, things like place of birth and blood type was something I did not know. And although I did know nearly everything for the kids they weren't to keen on telling me things back in kusa.

I quickly handed the woman the paperwork.

"Mizuko-san please come in. We have much to discuss. " I man with pale blond hair and blue eyes walked in. We all started to get up.

"Just you Mizuko-San, if you will." He clarified. I paused and glanced back at the kids.

"I'll be going then. No talking to strangers okay. And behave, if any of you misbehave I'll get mad." I say sternly and they nodded.

I follow the man in an office-like room and take a seat when he asked me to.

I fidgeted and looked around nervously as he sat down as well.

"Hello I'm Santa Yamanaka, I'll be helping you out today." He started off and shook my hand.

"Mizuko Uzumaki. It's a pleasure meeting you." I say

"There is some information we need to be cleared up. Your place of origin. You mentioned ya'll being of the Uzumaki clan. Your village fell nearly two decades ago so we need to know a bit more of background and clarity. Okay?" He asked and I nodded.

"So as far as you know, do you know where you were born or come from and why your mother never tried to come to Konoha?" He asked and I nodded.

"My mother Rumi Uzumaki survived because she was poisoned and her chakra coils were damaged. She passed out and fell into the ocean and washed up on the mainland. From what she told me by the time she returned to continue fighting for Uzu. It had already fallen. She was very heartbroken about it." I start off, he was quickly writing down what I was saying on a scroll.

"Um, she never really told me how but my father Daiki Senju met her afterward. I think she had said that he was in a mission gone wrong or something like that. But they ended up running away together to the land of iron. For most of my childhood, it was just my mother, father and I." I continued as I tried to think back to what my mother had said.

"We had a store that sold high-quality paper and later on fruits and flowers. Until I was seven. I'm not sure what happened since it all occurred so fast. I thought my father had arrived home from work and went to greet him and Kusa shinobi entered our home." I say looking down as I tried to remember.

"I just remember seeing my father's dead body outside of the house and being dragged out by ninja. My mother tried to fight back and they beat her until she was unconscious. When I woke up we were in Kusa." I say as I look back up at him.

"I see, I am sorry to hear about that Mizuko-San. Now, what about Kusa, can you tell me what happened there?" He asked and I bit my lip and nodded.

"They broke and bound my mother's feet so that she would not run away. She became inconsolable after my father's death. I know that they were beating and uh... raping her. " I say, I was a bit uncomfortable saying it out loud.

"Is Rumi-san still in Kusa?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Mother passed away after giving birth. We had a failed escape attempt two years ago. They were furious and they." I stayed quiet for a moment as I picked at my fingernails slightly.

"They cut her feet off and broke her hands. I'm sure they also cut off a few fingers. I didn't see much of her after that. They... a lot happened and she never recovered from that. After having Tadashi, she just died." I say thinking back to when mother had passed away.

"Were you held in Kusa against your will?" He asked softly and I nodded. I couldn't help but sniffle as I tried to hold back the tears that wanted to come from having all of this brought back up.

"Now about the children, are some your siblings and some your actual children?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, they are all mine." I stated.

"So Rumi didn't birth any of them?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Mother wasn't okay. She was biased and really did hate them. So she gave them away to me. Had I not taken care of them she might've hurt them or let them starve to death. Whenever they were born the doctor also gave them to me and let me name them. Since I was their mother." I say with a nod.

He didn't say anything and wrote down a few notes.

"If I may ask, what happened the first time you tried to escape and how were you able to escape this time around?" He asked and I looked up at him.

"The first time around. It had been mother. They had made sure she could not get her hands on ink, scrolls or brushes. But I made some paper and a brush. With some luck, I managed to make some ink." I start off remembering what had happened.

"I guess that brought back some hope for her. We planned it for two years. Mother apparently created massive sealing arrays in Kusa and launched an attack on them. She had been a Jonin once. She got us through any ninja and we escaped for nearly 48 hours. " I say sadly.

"But I guess they found us, my mother stayed back to fight while I led everyone else. At the time Fumiko was a newborn. As you know I am a civilian. I couldn't run fast and the kids were a lot slower as well. They caught us and dragged us back." I finish off.

"And the second attempt?" He asked

"There was a Jonin, I... fell in love with him. He smuggled us out and he said he uh, faked our deaths. He wanted to take us to Kumo. He had lied to me. At first, he said we were running away to the land of iron or hot springs. " I say closing my eyes slightly.

"Where is he? The ninja that helped you." Santa-San asked and I flinched.

"I was not going to let him drag us to Kumo. So I-" I stammered and started to cry.

I couldn't help the sobs that escaped my lips. It had been months ago.

"I'm sorry, I am letting my emotions get the best of me." I say as I absentmindedly rub my swollen stomach.

"I killed him. I just couldn't let him take us there. If he would have thought I was against it. He might've not reacted well. He was only fond of our son Yukio and he didn't treat Yukio's siblings right. I was scared and what if, what if they did the same thing to Karin or my other little girls that they did to me?! Kumo was not on friendly terms with Uzushiogakure and my mother she made me swear I'd keep our clan secrets safe. Our clans legacy must be delivered to Lady Kushina. She's the last main branch member." I say quickly. I could feel my chakra wavering as I told him this. I could not do much and I was justified in what I had done.

"I understand, thank you Mizuko-san. I'm glad knowing that you were all able to make it here. As clan members of our sister Village, we will make sure to help you." He said calmly as he placed a box of tissues in front of me.

I took a few and blew my nose. "Thank you Yamanaka-san." I whimper out.

"We might have further questions but in the meantime, this should be enough."

"Now, we will see what we can do about housing for the meantime and we will look over and see the best way to help you." He stated and I nodded.

I followed him back to where the kids were at and gave them a smile and hug.

Third Person POV

Santa Yamanaka was quick to deliver his report.

As the analysis team pulled records involving Daiki Senju's file they were piecing together her story.

Land of iron officials had investigated Daiki's murder.

The house he had been thought to have been staying in had been burned down but in the rubble, they had found an old Konoha headband.

Quickly they had called Konoha ninja to see if they could identify the body.

They had been able to verify that he had been an MIA Konoha ninja and that opened an investigation.

The only things that they were able to gather was that Daiki owned a shop that sold high-quality paper, flowers, and fruits.

He had a wife named Rumi and a young daughter named Mizuko who had gone missing or thought to have died in the fire.

They were quick to disprove that they had died due to the fact that there were no humans remains in the ashes.

Which had led to the thoughts of kidnap. A slave ring or someone who wanted a Senju child.

Being that there was no evidence the wife and child had been labeled missing.

Mizuko fit the age range of the missing child. Her story did fill in some of the gaps. Although she probably didn't know the reason that they were targeted.

So technically she was part of two noble clans in Konoha. A Senju and Uzumaki.

What was next was finding out what happened to Rumi. Of course, finding out she was dead and Kushina not being alive anymore made it hard for them to pinpoint that side of the story.

But it was obvious that they had been kidnapped in hopes of reviving a dying clan. Now Konoha was not one to force clan restorations on someone but they would benefit greatly to their added presence.

Mizuko had let it slip that there were clan secrets. From what Izumo reported about the seals on their bodies, what Santa said about her saying they did have clan secrets and the obvious fact that she knew Uzumaki sealing which had become a lost art. That also pushed them to want to keep them for their village.

Sure fending Kusa away from would be difficult. But they were technically a protected clan and if Kusa wanted to get them back Konoha was well within their rights to strike back.

Mizuko had also requested to be in the mask temple. The building had suffered massive damage back in the Nine tails attack.

And with this being such a big matter it quickly made itself known on the old Hokage's desk.

He reviewed it with a critical eye. The pros and cons of allowing them to stay.

As much as he wanted to grant them access and help. This was a military dictatorship and free handouts was not something they did.

But then again. Maybe they could be very helpful and if proven loyal they could serve to ground their Jinchuriki more to the village.

Mizuko POV_

I had been giddy and nervous the whole time.

Soon I would meet Lady Kushina and be at the mask temple.

The kids were rowdy and getting used to the crowded streets.

"Mama, they have a ninja academy. Do you think I could be one?" Karin asked as she picked at her food absentmindedly.

I quickly froze. "You want to be a ninja?" I asked in shock and she nodded.

"I want to be able to protect you and everyone. That way no one hurts you again and if they try I'll beat them up!" She exclaimed loudly.

"Then I want to be a ninja too! I'm 7 and I have held kunai before. I even practiced with them. I want to protect you too mama." Ryuu piped up.

"Wait, I want to be one too. I can help protect you!" Kenta added and soon Nanami and Fumiko added that they too wanted to be shinobi.

"I know you want to protect me. But being a ninja is dangerous. I don't want you to be hurt!" I say and kenta scoffed.

"We are Uzumaki. We will make lady proud and show Konoha we are great warriors too. You're civilian and kusa might want to take you away again." He stated and they all seem to agree with him.

"Yeah we will keep you safe mama." Fumiko exclaimed loudly.

I signed as I looked at them. "Okay, I will see what I can do. If they accept us here and we are treated well. I'll make sure you can all follow your dreams." I say sadly. They all smiled widely and thanked me.

I was making my way back to the tower. I was supposed to talk with the Hokage.

From what I had been told this was not a usual occurrence.

The Hokage did not just talk with civilians in his office much less people who were seeking asylum.

They were vetted through the system and he just approved or declined their papers.

So I was nervous. I had dressed in my best Yukata and tried to look as presentable as possible.

As soon as I arrived at the front desk I was led upstairs and through doors until we had arrived in front of two double doors.

"Hokage-sama, Mizuko Uzumaki is here." The shinobi stated as he knocked.

"Come in."

And with that, the shinobi opened the door and let me in.

It was a large office and an older man was seated behind the desk.

"Please take a seat. " he stated as I walked forward.

The ninja left and shut the door.

I was looking around and taking a seat in the chair in front of the elderly Hokage.

"So I have reviewed your paperwork Mizuko-san. But I want to make sure of a few things before allowing you to stay in my Village." He stated as he placed a picture in front of me.

"Do you recognize this man." He stated.

The man had light brown hair and tan olive-colored skin. He wore a Konoha headband.

"I don't know." I mumble as I pick up the picture and looked at it closer.

I felt like I knew him from somewhere but I did not know from where.

I stared at his face and then at his hazel eyes. I pulled the picture closer and stared into those eyes that looked so familiar.

A sudden flash of realization came to me and I quickly covered my mouth. "My father. This is a picture of my, my father." I choke out looking at the picture with trembling hands.

"So you are Daiki's daughter." He leaned back slightly as I felt a wave of emotions hit me.

"But how?" I asked confused.

"Your father was a ninja here before meeting your mother. When his body was discovered locals called samurai to investigate. His Konoha headband had been found and we were called to investigate." He stated as he placed an old and dirty metal plate on the desk.

"We actually searched for you and your mother for a while. It was thought that you died as well." He stated and I let out a choked sob.

"I didn't know. I can't believe I didn't recognize him. Can I, can I have a copy of his picture? I'd like to make a shrine for him." I say as I looked down at the photo with a soft sad smile.

"You can keep that one. It was a blown-up picture of his Ninja registration photo." The Hokage responded and I quickly bowed. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, child. Now I also heard that you were searching for Kushina. Unfortunately, she passed away 9 years ago. There was a giant demon fox that nearly destroyed our village. She was injured fatally while holding the beast back to protect our village." He stated as he set another picture down. It was of a red-haired woman.

She had violet-colored eyes and a large grin. I stared at it in shock.

"What?" I whisper out.

"The masked temple also suffered major damage and due to its seals, we were unable to repair it. But if you want we can set you up with an apartment. As a Senju and Uzumaki, we would help you out with some living expenses." He stated and I stared at him in shock.

"She's dead?" I bit my lip and I felt my stomach stir.

"I can fix the temple. Mother taught me a lot of the ways of the Uzu priestesses. I might not be able to fight but I can make the mask temple our home." I say stubbornly.

"Now, another thing Kushina had two Kekkei Genkai. I would like to know if you have them as well?" He stated and I blanched.

"I.."

"It's fine child. We have many clans with abilities. We will not pry into your clan secrets. I would just like to confirm and see if you have them as well." He stated in a calm collected tone.

I felt myself calm down and slowly nodded.

"I do. We all do. I am able to heal and should have the ability to use the chains. I can't because I am not a ninja and don't have the physical strength to use them." I say softly as I fidgeted in my chair.

"But I can also do this." I say as I build up my chakra.

Slowly in my hands wood started to form and make a small wooden sculpture.

His eyes widen slightly. "Have you always been able to do that?" He asked and I nodded.

"My father would sell the fruits and flower I grew in his store. He had called it wood style." I say as I placed it on the desk.

"And you did this without seals?" He asked and I cocked my head in confusion.

"No, I'd didn't draw seals to do this." I say and he shook his head.

"I meant without hand seals." He stated and i was even more confused. "What are hand seals?" I asked and he stayed quiet for a second.

"You make seals and are able to use your chakra correctly. You should know about the seals you must use in order to use your chakra." He tried to explain but I was a bit confused.

"I have never heard of them before. I just build my chakra up like this." I say placing my hands together and moving my chakra internally.

His eyes widened slightly. "I see. So you are naturally good at moving your chakra?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I don't really know. I think my father was teaching me but he passed away and a lot of things happened. " I say looking down at his picture on the desk.

"I see. Well if that's the case then I will get one of my ninja to lead you to the mask temple. There is a lot of work to be done. And you will receive a small monthly allowance this will be to help you some. Since it will be coming from the Uzumaki and Senju clan vaults. It will help you guys establish yourselves here." He stated as he began stamping a few papers.

"You are all now Konoha citizens." He hands me the passports and I stare at them with wide eyes.

"Thank you so much." I say looking at them.

"No need. It's the least we can do. Also, I do suggest you head to our hospital and get an appointment for check-ups." He stated and I flushed.

"I'll make sure to do that, also I wanted to ask about the academy. The children heard about it and they want to become a ninja for the village. I want to know if there was a way to enroll them?" I ask and he nodded.

"We can definitely get them enrolled. I'm sure they will learn a lot. They are not required to be ninja but they can do so if they graduate." He stated and I nodded.

"Also if I may ask. Is the Uzumaki Mask temple in a very populated area?" I asked and he cocked a brow.

"It's near a few clan compounds but not as densely populated like where you are currently staying." He said and I smiled.

"Good. I know it was a weird question. But we are all a bit chakra sensitive. It stems from the fact our chakra reserves are so massive that as infants it would spill out of our tenketsu. It makes us good sensors but it can cause us to be too sensitive to emotions and chakra of other people. Tadashi, Hisashi, Yukio, and Hayami are so small that I like to make sure they aren't overwhelmed with chakra. " I ramble on and he stayed quiet.

"Is this a common thing with Uzumaki children?" He asks and I nod.

"My mother told me so. It very important for an Uzumaki child to be raised carefully. They might close their own tenketsu if they are around unwelcoming or unfamiliar chakra. Kusa realized this and that's why they let me stay with the children despite the failed escape attempt. Fumiko was inconsolable when she was taken away for nearly five months. And even Karin, Ryuu, Kenta and Nanami lost weight and were stunted in their growth for a bit." I say as I thought back to those days.

"Mizuko-San, you have brought up something that has piqued my interest. I am guessing this is usually not public knowledge?" He asked and my cheeks flushed.

I had become so comfortable in his serene chakra that I was rambling about clan secrets.

"Uh yes. I wasn't supposed to say that." I shrunk into myself.

"It's fine child. But this is a trait that all Uzumaki children have, correct?" he asked and I nodded softly. He leaned back in his chair and was quiet for a moment.

"It is not public knowledge but Kushina had just given birth when the nine tails attacked. Her son was orphaned at a young age. Not many are fond of him due to his birthmarks on his cheeks. They think it's like a bad omen." He started off a serious look on his face.

I looked up in shock. "An orphan Uzumaki? That poor child." I felt my heart clench at the thought. I couldn't imagine it for that child to be alone with no one to watch over him.

"He is about nine years old. Do you think, you could take him in? If there is a way you can teach him to be an Uzumaki?" He asked and I nodded firmly.

"We are kin by blood and clan. I would never leave an Uzumaki to fend for themselves." I say with determination.

"Another thing, I never did tell him who his mother was. Because as you know Kushina was a strong shinobi and last of the main branch of the Uzumaki. I will speak with him and see if he would want to move in with you." he stated and I nodded.

"Then I guess it is settled. You will own the masked temple and rebuild it. Give me two or three days and I will speak with the boy about living arrangements."

Third-person POV_

As the Young Uzumaki woman left, the Hokage called in a meeting.

Naruto Uzumaki was the jailer of the Kyuubi. Moving him around and giving him to a newly arrived citizens was almost insane.

He was sure the council would be in an uproar.

It was also a great opportunity. Uzumaki seals were a lost art, yet here was a group of 6-10 people who practiced the art with more skill than what every village had that called themselves seal masters and they were all younger than twenty.

Even Kushina hadn't known seals that well. She knew basics and from there she did not use seals.

That and the fact that keeping them separate could be fatal for the newly arrived Uzumaki's relationship with the village and for Naruto as well.

If he grew up and learned he had a family he was kept away from he could even come to hate the village.

As for the Uzumaki, it could feel like they were being oppressed again and make the deflect.

The council gathered in the room and the Hokage was quick to let them know why they had all gathered.

"We are here to talk about Uzumaki Naruto. Recently a group of Uzumaki refugees arrived seeking asylum. The leader Mizuko Uzumaki had arrived searching for Kushina Uzumaki to take refuge from kusa who had kidnapped her and her mother for forced clan restoration." He stated calmly.

The clan heads flinched at that and the Hyuga looked furious. But that was due to Kumo nearly kidnapping his daughter for a similar attempt year prior.

"Mizuko, the oldest one of them and 15 years old managed to find a way to smuggle all 9 of the Uzumaki children that had been born of such practice out of the grass country and safely bring them here to konoha. I believe as closest relative to the boy, she is allowed to raise him and teach him the Uzumaki clan secrets." He stated and Danzo scoffed.

"She herself is a child. The children should be placed under an adults care." He stated.

"I think not, you can't just take a pup away from their mother. It would be wrong and we would be no better than kusa by doing that. Poor girl must've suffered there like a breeding mare." Tsume snarled at the old council member.

"He is right she is too young to be a mother." Koharu stated.

"If a young woman becomes pregnant we do not go and take her child away. Much less take away the child and declare it an orphan. Besides from the looks of it in a few months she will be birthing another child " Hiruzen stated.

"Logically even if the children aren't hers they would be her siblings. We have had plenty of 14-19-year-old genin adopt their siblings after becoming orphaned. And if she was able to travel thousands of miles in a civilian pace to konoha with no one to help her fend, feed or take care 9 children. She has more than earned her right as their mother." Shiba stated as he fixed his glasses.

"Yeah, besides clan children are sometimes a bit different. A normal family would find it hard to raise an inuzuka child because of their heightened senses. Same with nearly all clan children. From us to aburame, to Hyuga and even the Akimichi. He would probably be better off with her. " Tsume stated with a resolute nod.

"I agree with her. And keeping them all together where they can be a family would be good for their development. The boy is a bit of a pariah in the village so if they become loyal and he becomes loyal he has more ties with the village which is a good thing for a Jinchuriki. A healthy mindset." Inoichi says and Shikaku nods.

"If played right the village will profit, they will profit and we will have a good situation in our hands." Shikaku adds and the other shinobi clan heads nod.

"They are Uzumaki, will they be reforming the Uzumaki clan? "The Kurama clan head asks and everyone turned to look at the Hokage.

"Mizuko-san has let me know that the older children have already asked her to join the academy and become Konoha shinobi. Also even if she is a civilian her skill in chakra control and seals would allow us to establish her as a clan head. Although I do believe remedial education might be necessary. I doubt Kusa was teaching them much. But yes the Uzumaki will become a clan here in Konoha." He nods and they start to talk with each other.

"She is an outsider. Why would we accept her so quickly?" Danzo asked.

"Simple, the Uzumaki clan had amazing Kekkei Genkai and were renowned seal masters. Why would I turn away a woman with three known Kekkei Genkai and the lost Uzumaki sealing arts? And the daughter of one of our own ninja as well. Her father was a Senju. They are very much a part of this village or have you forgotten the meaning to the swirl in our headbands and flak jackets?" Hiruzen stated as he narrowed his eyes at Danzo.

Danzo looked down avoiding the eye contact.

"Now, we are all in agreement. Naruto will be allowed to decide if he is adopted by Mizuko and that Mizuko Uzumaki becomes clan head of the Uzumaki that are here?"

Hiruzen made his way to Naruto's apartment. He was sure to always visit the boy and make sure he was well.

But naruto was a hyper child who would always find himself in trouble.

He knocked on the door and was greeted by a mop of blond hair and a bright smile.

"Jiji!" Naruto squealed hugging the old man.

"How are you, my boy?" He asked ruffling his blonde hair.

"I'm great now that you're here! C'mon I was just about to make ramen." He squealed letting the Hokage in his small apartment.

"Alright alright. But how about instead I take you out to eat." He smiled and the boy's smile widened.

"YATTA! Let's go old man!"

Naruto sat in the stool happily swinging his legs as he waited for his food to arrive.

"And then Iruka sensei popped up out of nowhere and scared me. I got a lecture but he didn't punish me because I hadn't placed the bugs on anyone yet." Naruto happily retold the day's events on how Iruka had caught him planning on putting Shino's bugs on the girls.

"Well, at least you did listen to his lesson later on right? It's very important for you to pay attention in class you know." He stated and Naruto huffed.

"But it's so boring and I just want to move around and play." He deflated as his ramen arrived.

He had perked up and thanked the Hokage for the food.

"Well, I'm sure next time you will do better." The old kage patted his head and Naruto smiled widely.

"I'll try my best!" He nodded happily as he quickly ate.

"Good, good." The old kage stated as he placed a small picture down on the counter.

Naruto stopped eating and looked at it.

"Who's that?" He asked confused as he picked up the photo of the pretty red-haired woman wearing a green dress.

"I know you have asked me before about your parents." He trailed off and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Jiji... was this my mother?" He asked in shock

"Kushina Uzumaki. Princess of Uzushiogakure. Very few people knew she was alive here in konoha. Now before you jump to conclusions let me tell you more about your clan." He stated and Naruto slowly nodded for the first time being eerie quiet.

"The Uzumaki clan lived in Uzushiogakure, an island a bit far from here. The Uzumaki were related to the Senju, like cousins, So when the village was created by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha we added the Uzumaki's clan symbol on our village symbol. The swirl that is. So they were our sister village." The old kage showed naruto a headband and pointed at the swirl in the leaf.

"Twenty-two years ago. The clan sent Kushina here to take Mito-sama place as an ambassador and for other duties, mito was the Shodai's wife and representative of the Uzumaki clan here in the village among other things. She was five years old, what we hadn't expected was for Three of the Five great nations to come together and attack Uzushiogakure." He stated calmly and making sure naruto was understanding.

"They say that your clan fought like brave warriors and even now with the few Uzumaki that scattered around the nations. The Uzumaki are still feared. We never did get any survivors and as far as we knew your mother was the only one alive."

"That is why I said nothing before. I was waiting for you to become a chunin to start telling you these things. But your mother was a strong and brave kunoichi." He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and naruto quickly hugged him.

"Jiji, did my mother throw me away because she didn't like me?" He asked in a soft voice.

"No, she loved you very much. From what I remember she was very excited about having you. She died while holding the nine-tailed fox down so that the Yondaime could fight it. And you were right by her side and in her arms being protected by her until her last dying breath. But there's a reason I am telling you this" he stated and Naruto looked up at him.

"Recently a woman has arrived here in konoha. An Uzumaki. She actually came here in search of your mother to seek protection from her. I spoke with her and she wants to meet you and possibly adopt you if you want." The old man stated and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Adopt me? Like, become my mom?" He asked and the old man nodded. "You would have 9 younger siblings and would live with them in the Uzumaki Mask Temple. If you want we can go visit them and you can meet them. "

"Yeah! I want to meet her." Naruto exclaimed before becoming bashful.

Naruto had restless sleep that night.

Before he knew it he was standing in front of the mirror tugging at his light green shirt. He looked at his navy color pants and his sandals trying to straighten them out and look as nice as possible.

He heard a knocking on the door and hurried to open it.

"Ready for your big day? " the old hokage asked him and naruto nodded as he adjusted his goggles.

"Y-yeah! Dattebayo." He tried to smile but he was nervous.

What if they didn't like him or called him names. What if they thought he was ill-mannered and decided they didn't want him. So many bad scenarios popped in his head as they walked to what was the Uzumaki Temple.

He had never even heard of the place before but apparently, that was where they were going to live once Mizuko-san fixed it.

Soon they were walking by all of the clan compounds and he was getting real antsy.

When they arrived there was a large broken-down building and a few red-haired kids running around throwing away old rotten wood into a big pile.

A woman around 5'4 with a large pregnant belly was pulling off planks on the porch.

He could hear her singing and some of the other kids singing with her.

"Mizuko-san ." The Hokage called out and she looked up.

Her skin tone was a bit darker than his own and she stood up placing her hands on her hips. She smiled widely as she noticed them from the porch.

She hurried down the stairs with a wide smile.

"Hokage-sama!" She exclaimed as she bowed deeply.

"Mizuko-san. I mentioned to you about little Naruto here. He's Kushina's only son." He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto stared at her in wonder. Her hair was a bright red and almost blinding in the bright sun. It reminded him of his mother's picture. Her eyes were soft and a warm gold color.

"I see. I'm Mizuko. But you can call me mama if you want okay." She smiled warmly at him.

The old Hokage watched her cautiously as she pulsed her chakra, even he could feel her warm chakra. He wondered what she was doing until he noticed Naruto's face soften and his body relax.

There was an almost goofy grin on his face and his chakra seemed to softly pulse right back.

It was like he was basking in her warm chakra.

Mizuko smiled widely as she felt his soft windy chakra. "Yes, I can definitely feel it. The Uzumaki blood runs thick in ya for sure." She nods and glanced back.

"Kids! Come meet your big brother!" She yelled loudly and they all started to walk towards them.

"Wow, you have yellow hair!" Kenta exclaimed as he approached and was looking up at naruto. The old Hokage wasn't much of a sensor but years of training and experience made him more than a little aware of chakra.

Even Kenta, the small albino boy pulsed his chakra as if he was searching for Naruto's own. They seemed to mend together for a brief second and they smiled at each other as they felt each other's presence.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at him confused. "Yukio and I have white hair because we are albino. But you have yellow hair. You're different too." Kenta pointed out.

Naruto looked around him and noticed that they all looked different, from their skin tone to their features and even their eyes ranged from hazel, brown, red and violet. But they all had the same bright red hair.

"Tis'kay though. You are probably a bit albino too. Cause your hair ain't red like mama's." He nodded and patted Naruto's back.

"I'm Kenta by the way." He smiled brightly. Naruto noticed he had bright red eyes and long silky white hair.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He smiled back happily at Kenta. It was like he was making friends. He was happy and he could feel a happy buzz around him that made his grin widened.

"Wow, are those Whisker marks on your cheeks?" A girl with dark brown skin, red eyes and silky red hair asked.

"Y-yeah." He nodded.

"Awesome. I wish I had something like that. I'm Nanami. And this Fumiko." She smiled and pointed at another girl but she had her red hair braided back and a large puffy and curly ponytail, her eyes were dark brown and her skin was just as dark as Nanami's.

The old Hokage noticed that they also pulsed their chakra and smiled widely as they felt Naruto's chakra.

"I'm Karin, and this is baby Hayami." Another girl with light milky pale skin smiled. Her hair was a bit long and spikey and her eyes were bright red like Kenta's and Nanami's.

"Say hi Hayami." She held up a baby with violet-colored eyes and short red hair. "She doesn't talk much yet but she will soon." Karin stated and Naruto smiled at Hayami.

"Hi, baby Hayami!" He greeted her and shook her chubby baby hand. The baby squirmed happily as Naruto approached her.

"Your chakra! It's so soft and warm." Karin gasped happily. She closed her eyes and smiled. "You must have a wind affinity!" She exclaimed.

"Awesome! Another boy! I'm Ryuu!" An excited boy came up to naruto smiling. He had slanted brown eyes and his red hair was braided back as well, it wasn't as long as Fumiko's and the bottom part was buzz cut so He only had the braids at the top of his head. His skin tone was a beige with a tinted of yellow.

"This is Yukio, he's also albino. Like Kenta!" Ryuu held up little Yukio who had spikey white hair and hazel eyes.

"Hi!" Naruto smiled at the both of them. He was smiling so widely as he was bombarded with new people and the happy buzz around him. He could feel it coming off of them and he was happy. It was like getting the attention he had always wanted.

"And then there are the twins. Hisashi and Tadashi!" Mizuko smiled as two small boys walked up to him as well.

They looked very different. Tadashi had braids as well and his hair was just as curly as both Fumiko and Ryuu's. But his skin was also very pale.

But Hisashi had light hazel eyes, spikey red hair and was the same skin tone as Mizuko.

"This is Naruto. He's Nine years old and he's your big brother. It seems that he was lost and we finally found him. Be very kind to him and make sure to make him feel welcomed." Mizuko smiled widely and they all nod.

"Okay, mama!" They all respond and before they knew it they were talking animatedly.

She turned to the Hokage and smiled. "Thank you for bringing him." She smiles brightly at him and he nods.

"It was the least I could do." He nods and glances back at the kids.

"So you are fixing the temple?" He asks and she nods.

" I'm ripping out the damaged wood and fixing the foundation first. With my wood style, I am able to remove and add things as I go. " She responded quickly

"I'm going to replace all of the seals. Once it is fixed I will make sure to bring back the temple at its full potential." She smiled as she glanced back at the broken-down building.

"Have you gone inside yet?" He asked and she shook her head.

"The seal is there and I could open it but its best to fix the entrance first and then work my way in. I'll also be adding more masks. My mother hid everything from Uzushiogakure. Anything C-rank and lower was not sealed within her and she passed all of our clan's history to us." Mizuko smiled as she looked at the massive temple.

"If you want, there is another wood-style user that could assist you in fixing the temple." The Hokage stated and her eyes widened.

"There is?" She asked and he nodded. "I'll send him here to help you.

" Thank you." She bowed deeply.

"Mama! Naruto says he's in the academy!!! I want to go with him and become a Konoha ninja too!" Kenta yelled out excitedly making Mizuko turn to him with a smile.

Another 8,800 word chapter

Yes, life is looking good for everyone.

This is what we all wanted. Naruto surrounded by young happy Uzumaki kids and being accepted so easily because they can sense his chakra and like how it feels.

Poor naruto is also going to have Mizuko after him about his grades and he's actually going to be studying.

I was also thinking, naruto has a lot of chakra and being around people that dislike him naturally his tenketsu close upright? Well, maybe that's why he is so hyperactive in this book.

Kids act out when they have home troubles. So being around chakra that is kind to him make his tenketsu open up so he's not so fidgety and he can actually pay attention and learn because the chakra is not bouncing inside him but leaking out in a healthy way.

Idk theories I am thinking up for this book.

Rosymalik


	9. Chapter Eight: Big Brother

Third Person POV_

"Wow, Nii-chan you are going to be a Ninja then. When you become Hokage you better give me the best missions." Kenta exclaimed excitedly as he bounced up and down.

"You bet, If ya'll become ninja we will all be kicking ass!" Naruto exclaimed as he was practically bouncing in excitement.

The old Hokage had been talking with Mizuko and Naruto was finally getting acquainted with his new family. They were all excited to hear about his time in the academy, and before he knew it he was telling them about the pranks he played on the teachers.

They were quick to ask more and more, Nanami and Kenta quickly asking to be included in the next one.

"I'll even teach you all I have learned. We will be the best ninja! Dattebayo!" He yelled excitedly and they quickly nodded.

"You can't do that. Mama would beat you three up with a stick. She is going to want you to behave and listen to your teacher." Karin quickly stated and Nanami pouted.

"Don't listen to her. Karin can be a snitch sometimes." Nanami whispered.

"I'm not a snitch!" Karin yelled her face flushing a scarlet red.

"That's exactly what a snitch would say!" Nanami shouted back as she kicked Karin's shin. "Brat!" Karin yelled throwing herself at her younger sister.

Naruto watched in horror as his two new sisters began fighting they were biting and pulling hair.

"Hey! Break it up!" Naruto turned to see Ryuu running towards them and quickly start separating the two girls.

"What's going on here?" Mizuko waddled toward them.

"Mama!" Both girls pulled away as Mizuko's came to view, the Hokage following behind her.

"Are you two fighting." She asked in a sickly sweet tone. "She started it!" Nanami pointed at Karin. "We weren't fighting. Just wrestling." Karin stated quickly.

"And you are lying to me? You know better than to fight among each other!" Mizuko scolded as she placed her hands on her hips and her frown deepened. Both girls glanced at each other with a grimace.

Before they could react Mizuko had hit them both upside the head and they both let out a whimper as waves of hot angry chakra came from Mizuko.

"You're both in trouble! I hope you are ready for repetitions on your seal work because I want 50 pages front and back of Kanji by tomorrow. See if you two like fighting then, and in front of the Hokage no less." She hissed out and they both looked up at her in horror.

"But mama!" Karin stammered out.

"That's too much, we will never finish!" Nanami gasped out in horror. "Ah, so you want to write out your Kanji with your nondominant hand? Alright, 50 Pages on your non-dominate hand for fighting in front of the Honorable Hokage! " She nodded and the two girls paled but stayed quite.

"I apologize that you had to see that Hokage-sama." Mizuko bowed and the Old Hokage chuckled and waved it off, saying it was no big deal.

"Looks like somebody's in trouble." Kenta giggled and both girls turned and glared at him. "Be quiet baka." They both hissed at him.

"Are they not friends?" Naruto asked Ryuu confused and worried.

"Huh, yeah they are friends. Why do you ask Nii-chan?" Ryuu asked as he glanced at Naruto.

"Well, they were fighting and hitting each other pretty hard." Naruto pointed out and Ryuu waved his hand. "We always fight. Nanami and Kenta are sometimes yanking each other's hair out or playing around together. Sometimes we get along sometimes we fight. That's what family is for." He shrugged as Karin and Nanami were still fighting with each other.

Naruto looked at all of his new siblings curiously. So this was his new family.

They had gone to Naruto's apartment and were picking his things up. His new mama helped him pack what he was keeping and what he was throwing away.

"Okay now watch carefully." Mizuko held a brush pen within and had a scroll opened up,

They had gathered all around her to see what she was going to write.

"We have a lot of clothes, and things we need to seal away. What would be the best seal to use?" She asked as they all settled around her.

"Storage seal with at least some moderate weight capacities." Ryuu stated and Mizuko nodded.

"Yes, Now how should I draw my base seal?" She asked and turned to Fumiko."Fumiko, which base should I use?" She asked and Fumiko hummed.

"Hexagon, It has six sides so it will be balanced enough." She said as she looked at her mother hoping she said the correct answer.

"We can, what other bases can we use?" She asked and they all looked at each other for a moment.

"It's not a complicated seal, we can use a normal triangle and space, time and stasis seal. If we were doing a bigger seal for heavier things then a hexagon would be a better choice." Karin added and Mizuko nodded.

"For simplicity, we will use a triangle. But Hexagon is good as well." Shes stated as she began to draw.

" Mama, What are you doing?" Naruto asked in confusion. "we are drawing a seal. Back before our Village was destroyed we Uzumaki were world-renowned Seal Masters. With our prowless, even our Civilians could make seals. And so we learn the craft. It is not easy and I will be teaching it to you as well. But these are seals." She quickly says as she pulled her brush away and lets the ink dry for a second. She then placed the box holding Naruto's things down on top of the seal

"Uzumaki Style, Fuin: Level three storage." she exclaimed and the box vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto's eyes widened as the box vanished. "Where did it go?" He asked as he looked around and even checked underneath the paper.

Mizuko chuckled and smiled. "It was sealed within the scroll. Don't worry you will be studying with Tadashi and Hisashi. They will also start their seal training since they are three. I will make sure you learn at your own pace. We all learn seals at a different pace and we all have strengths and weaknesses." She smiled and Naruto looked at her with wide eyes.

Soon they were walking out of the apartment building.

They were all rowdy and following Mizuko who was going to the market to buy groceries for dinner.

Naruto was quiet, he was very happy to have a family but he could not help but be a bit confused.

For example, Karin and Nanami were now chatting and giggling together although earlier they had been trying their best to hit each other.

Another thing that confused him was how he could still feel that constant buzz around him. He was noticing that everyone felt a bit different.

Karin was like a nice cold river. Fumiko was like static almost like a broken TV on a blank static screen or maybe like when it was about to rain and there were large clouds of lightning. So was Ryuu who had that same aura around him that Fumiko had. Nanami was hot like a campfire crackling in the night.

He glanced at Kenta who was swinging Tadashi and giving him kisses on his cheeks. Kenta was like a river as well.

Both Hisashi and Hayami were like the great big hashirama trees in the village, or maybe like nice wet and soft soil after it rained.

Yukio was the only odd one out, His presence felt like a breeze. It reminded him of when he would sit in his apartment balcony and the wind was blowing against his skin.

He was so busy trying to figure out what everyone around him felt like that when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder he jumped.

"Is something wrong?" Mizuko asked concerned. Naruto glanced up at her. "Mama, why does everyone feel different?" He asked confused as he looked back at his siblings.

"Hmm, I am assuming you can feel their chakra?"Mizuko asked and Naruto looked confused. "What's Chakra?" He asked confused.

"Chakra is an energy inside of us. It is a mixture of our Physical and Spiritual energy. For us, we are sensitive to chakra. I am assuming your Chakra had been sealed up before so you didn't notice. But it is all around us. Your siblings all have different kinds of chakra. That is why they feel different." She smiled softly as she kept walking.

"Everyone's chakra is similar because we all have one of the 5 chakra types Wind, Fire, Water, earth, and lightning. But if you pay close attention you will notice that they are all a bit different." She finished and kept walking forward.

Naruto wrinkled his nose and looked at the civilians around him. Since he was paying attention to them he noticed the soft hum of their chakra.

His eyes widened slightly. He had not noticed them before because his siblings had these massive presences. But he could feel the small pools of chakra of the people around him.

Some were calm and smooth. Others were jittery or even hot and angry.

"Why are ours bigger than everyone else's?" Naruto turned to Mizuko who chuckled.

"As a clan, we have massive chakras compared to everyone else. You'll find it easier to find us than anybody else. How do you think I was able to tell that you were an Uzumaki."She patted his head and turned to a merchant.

Mizuko quickly began picking out vegetables and asking for prices.

"Of course Miss the total is-Oye brat I thought I told you not to come around here." The merchant's face turned red in anger as he noticed Naruto in the crowd of red-haired children.

"Brat?" Mizuko turned and noticed Naruto's pale face.

"Excuse me, Are you talking to my son?!" Mizuko gasped as she turned to the man in shock.

"No, It's that trouble-making brat." He sneered as he pointed to Naruto.

Mizuko could feel her anger flare as the man pointed his grubby finger at her oldest child.

"How dare you speak to my son like that!" She snapped as she turned to the man furiously.

"Your son?" The man spluttered out. Mizuko instantly grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him toward her.

"Yes! My son! How dare you speak to him like that!" She yelled at the man in anger.

"Impossible that brat is an orphan!" He exclaimed in shock. People were quick to notice the commotion and stop to see what was happening.

"Preposterous! I lost him many years ago and have finally been able to reunite with him. I am his mother! There is no possible way my little boy is an orphan!" She snapped back at him.

"You can keep your merchandise. There is no way I am buying food from such a despicable person! Just you know that we Uzumaki-Senju will never forget this! Good day. Come children don't talk to men like that. It might be contagious!" She sneered loudly and walked away from the stand.

The kids all glanced at the man who was staring at them in shock. "You heard mama, Don't look at it. It might be contagious." Karin led her younger siblings forward to their raging pregnant mother who was storming down the main road.

Naruto was being dragged down the road as well and he was staring at his new mother with wide eyes.

People moved out of the red-haired woman's way. People stared at her in shock from her previous outburst. "How dare that old greasy bastard talk to one of my babies that way." She hissed as she walked up to another merchant.

The kids crowded around the angry red-haired woman.

"Oh, mama's furious." Kenta gulped as he stood beside Naruto whose hand she was still holding.

"She's scary." Naruto whispered back to Kenta who nodded in agreement.

"Mama, You're squeezing Naruto-nii's hand." Kenta poked Mizuko who turned to him quickly.

"I am what?" She looked down and flush. " Oh my goodness. I'm sorry honey." As she noticed she had been squeezing his hand.

"It's fine mama." Naruto replied still looking at her in shock. "I just got so mad. That greasy old man I'll never forgive him for talking to you like that. If I wasn't eight months pregnant I would have jumped over that table and showed him a thing or two." she huffed as she turned back to the merchant.

"We will be getting these vegetables." She quickly picked them out and handed it to the merchant.

He looked at her for a moment and then at Naruto. Mizuko glared at the man.

"Do you have a problem with any of my children? If you do, Just know that the other guy got lucky." she signaled to the merchant two stalls down who was still staring at her in horror.

The man quickly shook his head. "T-that would be fifty Ryo m'am." He stammered out. She scoffed and unsealed a coin purse from her wrist quickly counting the money.

"Hmph, I was starting to think this village was full of child-abusing scum. Luckily it seems that it was just a one-time case."

She picked up the basket and started to waddle away. "Come, kids, I still have to cook dinner." She called out, her anger dimming slightly.

They all quickly followed her, even little Hayami seemed to be behaving as she was wrapped on Mizuko's back.

Although Naruto found her a bit scary when she was angry. He could not help the small smile on his face at the thought that someone was willing to protect him like that.

The apartment was not too cramped but it was a one-bedroom. Mizuko had insisted that they only needed one room. When the Hokage asked her response was. "How could I sleep in peace if my children are not nearby. One room is all we need."

She had cooked a large healthy meal with rice, meat and plenty of vegetables.

At first, Naruto had been a bit against eating the vegetables but Mizuko quickly began a lecture on how he would not be able to be a strong ninja without it. And if he didn't eat it his baby siblings would all end up being taller than him.

That and the fact that they tasted great.

Naruto was smiling widely, his new family would defend him, eat with him, teach him and be there for him.

Secretly he did not mind eating the vegetables Mizuko had cooked, it was the first meal he ever had with his family and he wasn't sure if it tasted great because he was surrounded by people who loved him or if his mother's cooking skills were the best. But he made sure to get a second helping of everything.

"That was great!" Ryuu smiled as he was helping in picking up the dishes.

"Well, I am going to bed." Nanami quickly stated.

"Ahem. You don't think you will be getting out of your punishments? 50 pages front and back on your non-dominant hand ." Mizuko stated and Karin groaned loudly and slammed her head on the table. "She remembered." Nanami groaned loudly as well.

That night they set the futons down. Naruto was confused when he noticed that all of the futons were placed close together.

"Now everyone settle down and get some sleep." Mizuko stated as she was changing Hayami's diaper.

"Maaamaaa!" Hayami squealed as she rolled and crawled away flopping onto the futon.

Everyone started crawling in and just laid anywhere on the Futon.

Naruto looked around and decided to lay down at the edge a bit apart from the rest of his siblings. He was still a bit shy and everything was new to him.

"Lights out." Mizuko called out as she turned the lights off.

They were a bit chatty and Naruto listened as they spoke in quiet whispers.

The day had been long, he started to think back about everything that happened.

He met his new family, at first he had been scared that they would not accept him. but they accepted him as one of their own easily.

When the merchant had yelled at him, he had feared that his new mom would also act the same way. His heart had nearly stopped, for a moment he thought they were going to treat him like everyone else.

But he had never expected for his new mother to get so angry at the man. To be honest he had never seen anyone that angry in his life. But he felt a happy buzz in his chest when he noticed she'd defend him so fiercely.

He was brought out of his musing as he felt a small hand on his cheek, He looked up to see Hayami staring down at him with her big violet eyes. She smiled widely at him as she laid down beside him.

He stared at her wide-eyed as she snuggled into his chest. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, before he knew it he was fast asleep.

Naruto POV_

I woke up to someone talking. I was smiling as I thought of my dream. My eyes snapped open as I felt something move around by my arms.

I looked down to see Hayami sprawled out beside me. I quickly sit and noticed that I had moved in my sleep and that all around me my family was sleeping. They were like a pile of limbs and somehow we ended up moving throughout the night.

I quietly sat up and noticed almost everyone was sleeping. Fumiko was reading a book to Tadashi who was eagerly trying to turn the page.

I couldn't help the smile on my face when I realized it wasn't a dream. I had a family now. I still didn't know how to act around them but I would be the best big brother I could.

It was rowdy Mama had us eating breakfast and then brushing our teeth. We were going to go to work at the temple again.

"I can't wait to live in the temple. When it's fixed we will be able to live there, And maybe we can become Uzumaki priests." Fumiko smiled as she ate her food.

"Uzumaki Priests?" I looked at her confused and she nodded.

"Mama told us once, back in Uzushio there were priest and priestesses. They would dance and sing. She says they were special kinds of warriors and that they used the Masked temples to bring back our ancestors. And they would also have seal masters who would be able to do amazing things."Fumiko nodded happily.

"Here I'll show you. They danced like this." She quickly got up and started to sing.

"From the ocean, we rise, O, Strong warriors who's ashes scattered in the winds. Listen to the waves and the tides of our island home. Whirlpools are dancing the wind is singing. return home oh go home. " She sang loudly and began to dance, I watched in awe as she moved around and sang.

"Warrior to the core and masters of the seals. But part of the ocean and to seafoam return. The whirlpools are dancing and the wind is singing. Young and Old the ocean we call home." I noticed that even Hisashi was trying to sing along and I turned to see mother smiling and start singing.

"Children of the ocean and tides we are, the island we call home where the whirlpools dance. So dance to this old tune and remember where you're from. The ink is in your blood and the oceans on your mind Sing and dance, Dance and sing for the ocean loves you and awaits you. The whirlpools are dancing to our familiar song, we carry them from old and when death comes and claims you return to the ocean foam, where we will be back home!" I couldn't stop smiling as everyone was singing loudly.

Mama was swaying and singing as she got Yukio and Hayami ready to go out. I found myself wanting to dance with them as well.

"So they sang like that?" I asked excitedly.

"You haven't seen anything yet. When mama dances she looks amazing. She says it's an ocean dance. We sing it for our fallen clan members who didn't make it back to the island, although we aren't islanders anymore it's still our homeland." Ryuu nodded and mama flushed.

"Well, I can't dance around as much right now. But once the temple is fixed I'll teach you all about our homeland." She smiles and pats my head. I couldn't help the smile on my face as I thought about learning more.

Before we knew it we were back in the temple. A man named Tenzo was helping mama. We were stuck throwing away the rotten wood that had been at the temple.

The entrance was almost finished, but I had barely felt the time go by. Mama was singing and working. I was playing with everyone while we took breaks and let the pile of wood build up.

Hayami was always following me too. Karin said it was because she liked my chakra, she said it was nice, warm and windy.

"Yamyam-chan that's her new nickname. It's like her name Hayami." I say as I carried her in my arms.

"Yamyam-chan. I like it!" Nanami squealed. "It's like Fumiko's nickname Fu-Chan." Ryuu pointed out.

"What about Yukio, he's also a baby and needs a nickname." Karin pointed out.

"I got it! Hear me out. Yukio will be Yuyu-chan and Hayami will be yaya-chan!" Nanami stated and we all nodded.

"But I like Yamyam-chan for Hayami." Fumiko meekly stated.

"My idea is better though."Nanami crossed her arms. Fumiko backed down meekly and Karin huffed. "Yamyam and Yuyu, and Naru-nii chan came up with the nickname first." She stated and Nanami huffed.

"Why are you taking Fu-chan's side?"She asked hotly.

"Because unlike you Fumiko will just go along with it even if she doesn't want to. So be nice to her you headstrong bull." Karin huffed and nanami gasped.

"I'm no bull." She huffed and Kenta giggled. "Out of the way, these two idiots are about to fight." He pulled Tadashi and Hisashi away from them.

"Hey! Who you calling an idiot?" They both snapped as they glared at Kenta. "Hey, calm down. No need to start fighting. besides, do you want mama to see you fighting?" Ryuu spoke up and they both grimaced.

"Yeah, and we can use both Yamyam and Yaya as nicknames." I say and they both huffed.

"Saved by my nii-chans, I thought they were going to tag team me." Kenta let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey get this wood!" I turned to see a big pile of wood waiting for us.

"C'mon we have work, Paper, rock, scissors. Whoever wins gets to stay here and watch the kids." Ryuu says and we all nod before beginning an intense game of paper, rock, scissors.

Another day went by and my weekend was over. Everyone was excited about going to drop me off to the academy. Mama had stated that she would walk me there and that she would see about signing Karin, Ryuu, and Kenta up. Since they were the only ones old enough to go.

"Books, notebooks, pens, and pencils. Alright, You backpack is all set."Mama stated as she double-checked my backpack.

"Everyone ready to drop off your big brother Naruto?" She asked as she handed me my backpack and picked up a waddling Hayami.

"Yeah!" Nanami squealed. "Yeah!" Tadashi copied her actions and looked back at her. "Hohoho, It seems you are learning from the best young Tadashi. If you keep up you'll be like a mini-me."She smirked as she rubbed her chin.

"We don't need two idiots running around." Karin huffed as she put on Hisashi's shoes.

"What's that suppose to mean?!" Nanami protested loudly. "Girls it is too early for your bickering. Now, this is the first time we walk your brother to the academy and the first time you will see where you will be going to school to." Mama scolded them as she was wrapping cloth to keep Hayami on her back.

"Maybe we can start school too." Ryuu smiled excitedly.

"Hand Yukio-chan."Mama quickly grabbed Yukio's hand and opened our apartment door.

"Alright everyone file out!" She called out.

"Ryuu, Hisashi, Nanami, Tadashi, Karin, Fumiko, Kenta, Hisashi, and Naruto. Alright. The gang is all here, let's go." She smiled widely.

I was walking beside Mama and we all hurried to the academy. Mama waddled as she walked and she looked a bit funny but that's okay cause I still love her.

"Mama, why is your tummy big?"I ask her. I had been curious for a while now.

Mama let out a loud laugh. "Naruto, Honey. I'm pregnant." she smiles back but I was still confused. What did that mean?

"What's that? Is that a kind of food you eat?" I ask.

"It means she's gonna have a baby soon. Before you know it mama is going to leave and come back with a very tiny baby." Karin smiled widely and my eyes widened.

"You have a baby in your tummy? Did'ja eat it?" I asked worriedly.

"Well, that's where babies grow. It's like a seed that was placed in my stomach and it grows there where it's safe and warm. When it is big enough I'll go to the doctors to take it out." she smiled at me and I nod.

"So is it a boy or a girl?" I ask and she shrugs. "We will find out when the baby is born. I don't really mind as long as my baby is healthy." She smiles as she rubs her stomach.

"So that means, Imma have 10 kid brothers and kid sisters." I say as I look down at my hands and she laughs.

"Don't worry you'll be a great big brother. Hayami already likes you and I think the twins do as well. As for the girls, well they're a bit fussy but no sweat."

They were all excited to see the academy and I was happy showing them around. They were my kid sisters and brothers. I also have to become much stronger too. If anyone tries to bully them I'll show them what it means to be Uzumaki. Dattebayo.

I showed Mama the front office and she was talking to the lady at the front desk about applications. I couldn't hear what they were saying but mama had a serious expression and was nodding.

"Alright, so I spoke to the secretary. She says you can't join until next term." I could feel Karin, Kenta's and Ryuu's disappointment.

"But I will make sure you guys all caught up so you can enter to the correct class. I was given the First and Second-year syllabus and we also have Naruto's old textbooks at home. So give mama a few days to learn the material and I'll be homeschooling everyone!" She smiled widely and they blanched slightly.

"But I'll do that while I am recovering from the baby. Right now we need to progress on the temple before the baby is born."

"Now I also want to talk to Naruto's teacher. So everyone stay out here." She smiled and I felt my face go pale. If mama talks to Iruka sensei when I do pranks will he call her and will she make me do 50 pages of kanji like she did to Karin and Nanami or worse will she get upset and lecture me!!

"Come on Naruto, They told me he was in the teacher's office. I am sure you know where that place is at as well.

Mizuko POV

I had Naruto lead me to the teacher's lounge. I knocked on the door and they quickly let us in. I notice some teachers instantly looked at Naruto and I could feel their chakra buzzing with different emotions.

"I need to speak with Iruka-san?" I called out as I looked around the room. I couldn't help but become nervous in a room full of ninja.

"That would be me. I hope Naruto's not caused any trouble for you, Miss." A man olive tan skin stated as he walked right up to us. He had his brown hair in a ponytail and a scar on his nose.

What I want to really know is why this village has such handsome men?! This should really be a crime, First the Gate guards, then some of the ones working in the office at the Hokage tower, Even

the wood-styler helping me at the temple was kind of cute if you remove that god awful protector he wears on his face.

They should call this the village hidden in handsome with all the single good looking shinobi men, who I was still terrified of. A sin! This whole village was full of 'em. Kusa men looked like absolute shit compared to them. Only Akio had some good looks to him.

"No, Naruto's hasn't caused me any trouble at all. You see I was told you were his main teacher. Is that correct?"I ask him and he nods.

"Well, then it is a pleasure meeting you Iruka-san. I'm Mizuko Uzumaki-Senju. I've recently taken him in as one of my own. As his mother, I want to make sure I was acquainted with his teacher." I say with a smile as I shook his outstretched hand.

"So you got adopted?" Iruka glanced at Naruto with wide eyes and then back at me as if assessing me.

"Yup, Jiji made it official already. And guess what, I have 9 Kid brothers and Sisters. They'll be joining the academy next year too." Naruto smiled widely at his teacher.

Iruka's eyes slightly widened. "Wow. Congrats Naruto. That's great to hear."He smiled widely and patted his head.

"Also, Iruka san. I just wanted you to know that if anything comes up you can always call me up. I know most of my kids can be a bit troublemakers. They just have way too much excess energy and sitting around all day doing work is not their strong suit. " I say and I notice him cock a brow.

"Excess energy?" He asks confused and I nod.

"Uzumaki like Naruto are born with massive chakra reserves. We tend to lack in chakra control and so it is a bit hard for them to sit still for long periods of time. I will work diligently on his chakra control and clan training, but I also want to make sure he excels here as well. And since you are his teacher I am sure it would be beneficial for you to know that tidbit of information since it might affect his ninja career." I say and he nods.

"Alrighty then, Naruto make sure you listen to your sensei and behave and don't think I won't punish you if you are misbehaving in class. Try your best as well." I ruffle his hair and kiss his forehead as I hand him his bento box.

"Okay mama." he smiles and nods to me. "So if any issues arise, give me a call and I'll come running. Okay." I smile at him.

"Of course, if anything happens I'll contact you then." he nods and bows. I bow back at Iruka -san before leaving the teachers lounge.

We went back to the temple and Tenzo-san had been shocked to see that all I did to use wood style was build up my chakra.

That's when he showed me the hand signs to some of the Jutsu that he used. I had been shocked when I realized how much easier it was with them. I was able to make more with less chakra and hence I was less exhausted.

We had finished the foundation and the porch. We were even able to replace the massive columns and we were going to start with the outside tomorrow.

The kids had left to go to the park and play. Of course, they asked for permission first before leaving.

When they came back they were all sweaty and tired from playing. Even the youngest two had played their fair share.

We finished at around 4:00 pm and we quickly went to pick Naruto up from the academy.

We had waited outside for a bit but soon we saw his familiar blond hair coming out of the building.

"Big Brother over here!" Nanami shouted loudly as she jumped up and down.

"Don't be so loud."Karin huffed and Ryuu sighed as they both started to fight again.

"Oh, would you look at that. Karin practically called you a-" Kenta started off before I interrupted him.

"Kenta, stop instigating fights." I say sharply and he quickly shut up.

"Hey, You guys are picking me up too?" Naruto asked wide-eyed.

"Well for today we will." I smile as I ruffle his hair.

Before we knew it a month had nearly gone by.

I was due any day and for the temple, we had only managed to get all of the outside and all of the important parts of the inside.

We were also remodeling the entire inside.

I had almost replaced all of the old seals.

I made sure that no one that was not an Uzumaki would be entering the innermost parts of the temple.

I had also found some of Mito-sama's work.

I couldn't help but be mesmerized by her seal work. Her lines were so smooth and clean and all of her seals had almost seemed perfect. She must've been a level fifteen seal master or maybe even a grandmaster.

I could feel myself become giddy in learning her seals and sealing style.

As for Naruto, I had placed the seal of a thousand eyes on him.

The only complication I had was of the odd seal on his stomach. The way it was placed showed the mark of a level ten or higher seal master. Not Mito's level but very high up in the ranks.

But there was something about it the was just so unnatural. Some of the functions had seemed nearly impossible with normal seal work.

Like if the Shinigami himself had finished off the seal. But whatever it was they must've paid a high price for a seal like that.

I had managed to draw the seal of a thousand eyes on his back and the freckle ended up on his left wrist.

I had been upgrading the seal as well. I wanted a more connection with the seal so I added a pulsing system. If we were ever in trouble we could send a pulse of chakra to the seal and alert one another.

Since they were going to be ninja I figured that it would be easy to be aware of each other.

"Alright we are gonna go home and eat. Tomorrow we can come back and work on the temple." I say as I stretched slightly.

"Mama." Yukio smiled as he was walking towards me.

"Mama, what do you want us to do with this?" Fumiko called out as she held up a toolbox.

"Place it inside the temple over there. We don't need it getting lost."I yell back and turned to grab Yukio.

I paused for a second as I noticed he was not there.

"Yuyu-chan.It's time to go." I say as I look around and waddled toward the corner he had just been coming from.

"I swear he was here a moment ago." I mutter to myself as I look around.

"Yukio!"I yelled as I looked around.

"Okay, we are ready to go." Naruto smiled as he carried Hayami in his arms.

"Wait a moment. We have to find Yukio. He was right here."I say with a frown as I take a look around and start to look for his seal.

My mouth felt dry and my heart froze as I felt his seal moving away from us.

"They took Yukio, Someone has taken my baby!" I screamed as I ran toward the direction of his chakra.

My mind went blank as I chased after his seal.

"Mama, what happened?" Karin yelled but I could barely hear her as I ran.

"Your brother has been taken. Someone took my baby" I screamed in horror as I glance back at them.

They might be trying to take another one.

"Oh god, What do I do. They are already so far away!" I was breathing heavy as this happened.

"Mama!" Tadashi squealed as I collapsed.

My head felt fuzzy and I was finding it hard to breathe. "We have to find your brother."I whimper out as I felt something run down my leg.

My eyes widened as I felt my water break.

"Mama!" I could barely hear them as I was on the verge of passing out. My breathing was heavy and I was so scared for my little boy.

" We have to get a ninja. Hurry, get someone to help us." I stammer out as I tried to calm down but I was almost sobbing. Someone had taken my little Yukio.

"Stay here, I'm going to get help." I heard naruto say as he ran off.

"My baby, they took my baby." I held on tightly to Karin's hand. I could hear Hisashi crying loudly, probably scared.

I wanted to comfort him but I could barely get myself together.

"Ryuu help me set mama, down." Karin called out and everything around me swirled. I was panicking and in labor.

Maybe it was the scare and panic that caused me to go into labor now.

My vision blurred and I felt everything go dark.

As I opened my eyes I notice I was in a bed.

"Her heartbeat is stable again."

I opened my eyes and looked around.

"My children, where are my children?" I asked and the nurse placed a hand in mine.

"They are in the waiting room." She tried to calm me down but I try to stand up.

"No! Bring them here. I need my children here now!" I scream as I tried to get up.

"Please calm down. You are in labor." The doctor tried to say and I let out a scream as I felt a contraction.

" I do not care, I will not be still unless my children are in this room with me. Now! " I scream out as I kicked a nurse and tried to stand up, ignoring the pain.

"Bring her children, they can sit in that corner over there. M'am please calm down. We will bring them here." He says and I tried to settle down. I could see a nurse leave and a minute later I could feel their seals come closer and I calmed down slightly.

"Someone took one of my younger children. They took my little Yukio, Get some ninja. Tell the Hokage. My son was Kidnapped." I say grabbing to the doctor's hand.

"The Hokage has been informed." The doctor stated and I gave a nod.

"Mama!" they all seem to rush to my side.

I look at them and relaxed a little. "Someone took your brother and they are getting further and further. Karin bring me a brush and ink." I say and she quickly nods.

"Ryuu, Kenta as one of the oldest you will protect your siblings. Do not let them out of your sight. They could attack again." I say sternly as I grimaced from the pain on my contraction.

I glanced at Naruto who was staring at me as well.

"Naruto, you are the oldest and the one with the most shinobi training. You will be the one to find your brother." I say through heavy-lidded eyes.

Karin returned and gave me the ink and brush.

"Take your shirt off." I instructed him and he quickly did.

I activated the seals and I could see the massive matrix of the seal of a thousand eyes on all of them.

I gritted my teeth, my chakra control was a bit bad at the moment and instead of just revealing his seal I had shown everyones. Maybe even Yukio's who was far away.

"Come closer." I say as I began to add more to his current seal.

It took me longer than usual to draw the seal but I was able to do it. I waited for my contraction to end before finishing the seal.

"Uzumaki Style, Fuin: Seal of a thousand eyes, The Guardian." I heave out as the complex seal itself merged with the one he already had.

I took his hands and pushed my chakra through him so he could feel the seals present.

He glanced around to see that he could feel his sibling's chakra through the seal.

"Concentrate. You have to find Yukio's." I say as he closed his eyes to concentrate.

The seal took some practice to get used to, but we barely had time.

"Do you feel it. The one that is the furthest away?" I ask and he slowly nods.

"That is your brother. You have to save him." I say while panting as I felt another contraction.

"Go to the Hokage, tell him you can locate Yukio and save your baby brother. You can do it." I say through the pain and he nods as he runs out of the room.

Naruto POV

I hurried out of the room and made my way to the Hokage tower. I had been there plenty of times before and they would let me through the security measures easily.

I found Jiji in his office ordering other ninjas to find Yukio.

"Jiji! You have to send me with them!" I yell out before the ninja could leave. I was out of breath and my heart was pounding out of my chest.

I couldn't believe someone was had taken my baby brother while we were not looking.

He didn't say anything as he stood up and walked toward me.

"These runes, You have seals all over you." He stated an angry look in his eyes as he stared at my arms and face.

I look down and notice the seal was still not compressed and I had lines of ink all over my body.

"Mama gave it to me, It was to find Yukio. She placed a tracking seal on all of us so we could never be taken away. Yukio's must be active too. She gave me the main seal to track them down." I say loudly.

"I know where he is. Please let me take you to them." I say loudly, he had to let me go with the ninja and find my baby brother.

What kind of brother would I be if I didn't rescue him?

"Tracking seal?" he asked and I nodded. "Mama isn't a ninja and she is in pain. She can't track down Yukio but I can. Unlike my sisters and brothers, I already started in the academy. I'm the only one that can track down Yukio."I plead and he closed his eyes.

"Cat, Carry him on your back and let him help find the boy. He might be the only chance we have to finding the culprit before they try to leave the country." He says with a frown.

"Yes, Hokage-sama.Climb on my back boy." She kneels down and I quickly climb on.

"Which way?"Another masked Anbu asked and I closed my eyes.

"That way." I point to the direction I felt my baby brothers seal.

My head hurt from how fast we were going. I was quick to close my eyes and just point out the direction of the seal.

Before I knew it there was a loud explosion.

"Stay here kid." The cat Anbu stated as she sat me down by a few tree roots.

It was almost night time and I could hear them fighting.

I was so busy trying to find my baby brother that I barely noticed when a ninja with a plain white mask jumped in front of me.

I recoiled as I notice Cat kick the masked ninja and send him tumbling away.

I was terrified. I could feel the way they moved their chakra and now they were moving around so fast.

I took a deep breath ignoring the fight between the Cat Anbu and the blank-faced one. I started and crawl through the small bushes following Yukio's seal.

I tried to make my chakra really small so that they didn't see me.

They ignored me as they fought against each other.

I noticed a masked ninja holding a crying Yukio as he dodged the bird masked Anbu.

I crouched down and tried to think of a way to get my brother.

I notice a kunai and some loose ninja wire.

I grabbed them and looked around and noticed a limpy looking tree.

I had to set a trap, that was my only option

It took some creativity but I was able to set a small trap in a branch.

I held the kunai nervously. Compare to the ones in the academy this one was super sharp.

I waited quietly trying to make myself as small as possible.

When the white-masked ninja was close enough to the branch I cut the Ninja wire and the branch swung forward.

The Bird face Anbu was quick to attack and was able to stab him and make him let go of Yukio.

I dropped the Kunai and ran to catch my baby brother.

I threw myself forward and I was able to catch him at the last moment. He was crying loudly and he had a gash on his arm.

I quickly ran away but another masked ninja jumped in front of me and swung his tanto.

I closed my eyes and held my little brother away so he would not get cut again, but I heard the sound of metal and looked back up to see that cat had stopped the masked ninja from killing us.

My heart was beating out of my chest and I quickly ran forward to my hiding spot. I used the kunai to cut my shirt and make a bandage.

I was sweating and crying too. I didn't want to see my baby brother hurt like this!

I tried hard to remember the first aid class Iruka sensei had taught but I hadn't paid much attention.

"I'm Sorry Yukio, If only I had listened to Iruka sensei, I could help you more." I sniffled as I also started to cry.

Yukio was still sobbing loudly as I tied the piece of cloth on his arm and pulled him close.

"Shh shh it's okay, Big brother Naruto's gonna protect you." I whisper as I notice I could also see his seal on his body.

I held on to him and the Kunai as I tried to get him away from the fighting. I could feel mama's seal and I tried to follow it.

"It's okay Yukio. We are gonna make it home. " I mutter as I could hear the distant sound of fighting.

It was getting darker and darker and I could barely see in front of my Yukio was now whimpering in my arms but I diligently followed Mama's seal. She was in konoha and we would be safe with her. She'd know what to do.

"The ocean breeze that we call home, we all return to the same home. Red hair so bright and faces cheer, Warrior come home, warrior come home." I tried to calm Yukio by singing the bits of the songs I remembered from mama.

I was tired, my eyes were heavy, and my feet hurt from walking But mother's signature was a lot closer.

I turned back around when I heard something moving through the trees.

I stayed quiet and settled down with Yukio so I could use one hand to bring out a Kunai.

"Get on, I'll take you back to the Hokage tower." The cat appeared in front of me. I felt her familiar chakra and I felt myself calm down as I climbed onto her back and held onto Yukio tightly.

I finally relaxed as she moved quickly through the forest closer to mama's chakra.

I glance to the sides and notice other animal faced anbu flank her as we went back home and I finally let myself relax.

When I woke up I noticed Yukio curled up in my arms. The ripped shirt bandage I had made was now replaced by white bandages.

I slowly got up and noticed my entire body felt stiff. I look around and recognized the hospital room. I closed my eyes and noticed that I could still find everyone's chakra.

"Come on Yukio. We have to go to mama." I whisper as I slowly picked him up. he whimpered but curled up against my chest.

I carried him out of the room and notice nurses walking around and working. I ignored them as I followed mama's chakra.

I slowly opened the door and took a peek inside. Mama was sleeping on the bed. Everyone else was sleeping on the couch and on a futon.

"Mama?" I call out and mama instantly woke up.

"Naruto?" She says as she sat up on the bed.

"You're safe." She smiled as she looked at me and I nodded. "Yeah, and I managed to bring back Yukio." I say holding him up and she let out a choked sob.

"You're both safe." She cried as she motioned me forward. I smiled as I hurried to her.

You already know the bitch made, dumb ass who tried to kidnap yukio. I don't even have to tell you.

Did ya'll think Danzo would take no for an answer.

The second the root ninja saw the seal on Yukio they knew they could not take him back to base. They knew they were going to be caught as well

Muchas gracias para los que len me libro y hablan español, Estoy muy feliz que les gusto! Yo soy Mexicana y puedo hablar, leer y escribir español. Muchas gracias por tu review!

And for all of the ones reading this. I feel like this one didn't turn out the way I wanted it to but oh well.

8,400 words

rosymalik


	10. Chapter Nine: Seals

Mizuko Pov_

I waited for Karin to return. Naruto was helping out with his younger siblings and I was in bed rest in the hospital.

I was tired, but I could not bring myself to sleep. I closed my eyes but sleep would not come to me.

"Mama." Hayami lifted her hands up and whimpered. I reached down and lifted her up on the bed and let her lay beside me.

"Mama we're hungry." Nanami pouted as she glanced over at me.

"I'll see if I can get a nurse to bring us some food." I say and she nodded. I tried to sit up and whimpered silently.

I brought my hand to my mouth and bit down hard as I started to take in some chakra. I could feel my body relax and the pain dull. This would not heal me immediately since I still needed a lot of rest. But it would help me feel better.

"Fu-chan. Could you pass me the nurse button?" I ask her and she nodded as she hopped out of the couch and grabbed the button handing it over to me.

I click it and wait patiently for a nurse to arrive. "Mama, when is big sister Karin gonna come back?" Fumiko asks and I notice Naruto perk up.

"Yeah, where is Karin anyway?" Naruto asked as he looked around and noticed she was not here.

"I asked her to accompany your new baby sibling. With everything that happened, I don't want any of you alone. The new baby does not have the seal yet so I don't want them to be alone." I say and Naruto nods.

"I want to ask Jiji and see if they caught the people who took Yukio. I never thought something like this would happen." He says as he wraps his arms around Yukio and I sigh.

"I always feared that something like this would happen. I just never thought it would happen here in Konoha, we were supposed to be safe here." I sigh as I lean my head back.

"They were ninja, they had white masks too. They were also very strong. They didn't even look like Jiji's ninja. Jiji's anbu always have an animal mask." Naruto stated as he stroked Yukio's hair and rocked his baby brother in his arms.

"I'm sure there is a logical explanation. Don't worry, Mama will do her best to make sure something like this doesn't happen again." I try to smile and calm my anxious chakra.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." I say loud enough so they could hear me.

"You called for a nurse?" The Nurse asked as she walked into the room.

"Yes, Can we get something to eat. The children haven't eaten anything nor have I and we are famished." I say politely and she looks around the room at my children.

"Uh, I'll go ask the doctor. We usually only provide meals for the mother." She gives me a forced smile. I frown and glare at her.

"Well, if your village security wasn't so lax that you let some enemy ninja sneak into my home, which is surrounded by what you call your ninja clans compounds. Kidnap one of my youngest sons all in plain daylight. I can assure you they would be at home eating premade lunches that I had prepared."I snapped back at her angrily.

"Honestly, I thought this was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. As a civillian, I am honestly shocked that the Villages ninja did not notice ninja infiltrate your village and kidnap a child in broad daylight. I honestly don't feel that my children are safe out of my sight. Also while we are on the topic of that, when will you be bringing in my child? My daughter Karin and my newborn have been gone nearly all night. When will I be allowed to see my newborn baby?!" I demanded angrily. I was not in the mood to deal with her.

"Or is not only your security lacking but also your hospitality and common sense? Bring some food for all of the children and make sure to ask the doctor when I will be able to see my newborn child. I'm at my wit's end with you people." I snarled at her and her face went pale.

"I will, I will go ahead and bring something for e-everyone to eat and bring the doctor." She stammered out and hurried out of the room.

I glared at her as she glanced one last time at me and scurried off.

I notice someone at the door and slightly straighten up as I noticed the Hokage walking into the room.

I couldn't help that my face paled when I saw him. Had he heard what I said? Well, it wasn't like I was lying.

"Ah, Mizuko-san. I do apologize for not coming in to speak with you sooner. I had some business to attend to earlier." The old man stated as he walked into the room.

I could not help my frown as I looked at him. "Jiji!" Naruto stood up and hurried toward him. " We were able to get Yukio back. See." He held up little Yukio who was snuggled into his arms.

"That's good news Naruto. I am glad to see that you were able to find your baby brother. From what my ninja tell me, you were really brave and made sure to get him to safety ." he stated as he pated Naruto's head affectionately.

"Now I need to speak to your Mother." He looked at me and I could not help but shiver. I could feel his refined chakra, there was a reason this man was Hokage and considered the strongest shinobi of the village.

"Now Mizuko-San, I feel as if I have to formally apologize about the whole incident. We have been interrogating the enemy who has tried to kidnap your youngest son. We have a few leads but I felt the need to make sure and speak with you about the whole incident." He stated as he closed the door behind him.

His demeanor was calm, even his chakra. I could feel no emotions coming from him and it made me cowered back. I disliked shinobi for this reason. Some just had too much control and that scared me because I found it hard to see through them or read them.

"I want to know why he was targeted. Who is after us if they are still out there." I say with a frown as he walked toward me. I couldn't help but avoid his gaze as he approached.

"I think we have a few leads to that, but I must know if Yukio's father still around or aware that you are here?" he asks and I quickly shook my head.

"Akio-san was Yukio and my newborn's father. He is dead. I made sure of that." I say with a firm nod as I thought back to when we had first escaped Kusa.

"I see, I would prefer to speak with you, Privately about the matter then. When you make a recovery please come to my office. We would not want someone to eavesdrop on the following conversations."

I nod and glance at the kids, he must not want them to know. "Understood Hokage-sama." I say meekly. He nodded and left the room. I could not help the slight fear that I felt.

Third Person POV

Hiruzen was furious. He knew who those ninjas belong to and he had already ordered for the disbandment of the organization.

Danzo was a fool if he thought he could get away with what he had done.

Everything had been working as planned. Twelve Uzumaki residing in Konoha and eager to join their shinobi ranks. Not only that but kusa had practically done all the work for them in increasing their numbers.

They had practically struck gold when it came to the whole situation. But then Danzo had to stick his grubby little fingers in and become greedy.

With this they would lose trust and what good would that do? They had come here for protection and they had shown they could not provide it. Not only that but Mizuko had placed seals on his adopted grandson and he had no idea what they did or if they affected the seal on his stomach. He would have to investigate that as well. But for now, he had to fix this situation first.

The Hokage was ready to slaughter Danzo for his clear disobedience. Now Hiruzen had to appease them and make sure that they did not plan to escape or harbor distrust towards the village.

Setting guards for them could scare them making them feel trapped or set them at ease and make them feel safe. The situation was delicate now and he had to play the caring grandfather act and calm the situation.

"Bring the report on those ninjas. Now." He snarled and his ninja quickly did as told.

He wondered to himself why he had not dealt with his 'old friend' earlier. With all the trouble he was causing him he was better off dead than alive.

It would be easy for him to confront him and kill him. The only issue was the army of emotionless robots he seemed to still have around.

When Karin entered her mother's room carrying her newborn baby sister, she could see the relief in her mothers face.

They were finally all together, and Mizuko did not waste much time before bringing out the ink brush, and ink.

Mizuko was quick to undress her newborn baby and start drawing the seal on her baby before she had even named her.

She was determined that no kidnapping would be successful and with what had happened earlier she was not willing to risk having an unmarked child in the village.

She was considering if it was safe to stay. She could always summon warriors to break them out of Konoha if needed. She had been studying the art of the Sealing Masks from the Mask temple and they had everything needed to perform the rituals.

She let out a long sigh. "Uzumaki Style, Fuin: Seal of a thousand eyes!" She hissed out as the seal trailed on the infant's body and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Now to name you my little girl." She cradled the infant in her arms. She looked a lot like Yukio, same eye shape and straight hair. Except she was not albino so her hair was a bright red. From the few glimpses, she could tell she had hazel eyes just like hers.

Mizuko sighed, "What do you guys think of Kaida?" She asked as she looks at her other children.

"What does it mean?" Naruto asks as he approaches and looks at the little baby resting in Mizuko's arms.

"It means little dragon. Ryuu's name also means dragon. So they will have similar names." She smiles and Naruto nods. "Our little sister Kaida then. Wow, She is so small." He stated as he looked at her and poked her cheek.

"Awe small baby." Hisashi stated as he looked at the baby as well. Tadashi was quick to climb on the bed trying to get a better look at his new baby sister.

"Look, This is a baby. She's like a mini-me" Ryuu smiled as he helped Tadashi and Hisashi climb on the bed so they could see their baby sister. " She's cute, Looks a lot like Yukio." Hisashi pointed out as he glanced over at Yukio who was still in Naruto's arms.

"Karin, you can rest now. Thank you for watching your baby sister Kaida. I don't know what I would have done if you had not gone with her." Mizuko smiled and Karin grinned.

"I was going to make sure nobody else took one of my little siblings. And I never took my eyes off her either." Karin stated with a sleepy smile and Mizuko leaned forward and grabbed Karin's hand and pulled her in for a one-arm hug. "Thank you, you and your brothers help me more than you think." she whispers and kissed the top of her head.

Time in the Hospital went by quickly. Once released Mizuko made sure to take them to the mask temple. The entire place is not completely fixed but the main living quarters were fixed and ready to be used.

She settled all of her children in the home and starts to draw elaborate seals on the walls and doors. She worked quietly and diligently to make sure that no one would attack again while she was gone.

It was the least she could do to set her mind at ease. She knew that she would meet with the Hokage. She was nervous and afraid of what she would hear. Three days since the incident had passed and she had nearly recovered.

She could move around freely but was still bleeding quite heavily due to the birth.

"Listen, nobody leaves the temple or steps out of it. I will be coming back. but I do not need a repeat of what happened before so I need you all to stay inside."

"At the moment nobody but I can open the doors and enter. So if anybody comes if they can't get in then they should not be here. Understood? Do not talk to anybody while I am gone." She says sternly at the eleven of them. They nod and she quickly headed out.

Her hands were clammy and she was worried about meeting the Hokage. She could not help the fact that she no longer felt safe. Entering the Hokage tower felt more like entering the lion's den.

Even the handsome ninja working and sending her carefree smiles was not calming her nerves.

" I am here to speak with the Hokage." She spoke meekly as she addressed the Hokage's secretary. The woman glanced at her and nodded." He has been expecting you, go ahead."

Mizuko took a deep breath and walked forward. She schooled her expression and tried to calm down her vivacious chakra.

Her family depended on her being strong and stern. She refused to continue to let Shinobi rule her life, well it wasn't like she could do much even with her determination.

She knocked on the door and heard the Hokage give her permission to go in.

She opened the door and peer inside. " Hokage-sama. I have come to speak with you about the previous events." She spoke softly yet quipped.

" Mizuko-san, Please come in. We have much to discuss." He stated as he sat behind his desk.

Mizuko tried to push down her nerves. This was more like the presence of a Kage, he looked stern and with narrow eyes. His chakra felt like a coiled spring ready to move at any moment.

"Please take a seat, I know that you are very concerned about your families safety due to the kidnapping of your youngest son Yukio Uzumaki." he stated and she nodded.

"I want to apologize for the situation, it should have never happened and will not happen again. I would place guards but I do not wish to overwhelm you with my shinobi. Kusa must've done similar things and I do understand if you become uncomfortable with such an arrangement." He stated and she thought about it for a moment and nodded. She could feel herself calm down as he spoke.

The meeting was already very different than she envisioned it.

"I have decided that in this case to maintain the trust between the Village and Uzumaki we will need transparency." He says and her eyes widened.

"I, I would like that alot." she replied trying not to sound meek. She had never been told much before in Kusa, they had kept almost everything from her. So some honesty would be nice and she was a bit happy that he was willing to give that to her.

"A councilman was the one who tried to take Yukio. The reason why he has not been arrested is that he had been suspected to collude with other countries and has been under investigation for a while. So even before your arrival, we have been closing in on him. I do apologize that your family got affected by the crossfire of this shinobi matter." He sighed as he glanced at her.

He was being careful with his words. It always worked to have a scapegoat and luckily Danzo was guilty and the perfect target.

"The reason we had not apprehended him is that we know he has shinobi working for him that would retaliate and set him free. The last thing we need is for him to get loose and become a missing ninja." He sighed as his gaze soften.

She could not help but frown. So it had not been a direct attack. Basically, a cornered man looking for leverage.

"I feel bad for having to ask this from you. But we need a seal to stop him from escaping. The best we have is paralysis seals and we have to find out his associates. His men would be able to set him free on his orders and we need the information he has. As our villages best seal master, I have to ask for your help." He stated and she looked down at her hands.

She had come here with the intentions of letting them know that she was angry about the whole situation. The last thing she expected was to have the Hokage ask her for help.

"You want me to help you catch him?" She asked and he nodded. "Yes, in creating a seal that will not allow him to use chakra and escape from Konoha." He added.

"The village would repay you for your service to her. You are our resident seal master and although it is not much we would be in debt to you for your help." He adds and she nods.

She couldn't help the buzz in her chest. Her mind was not clouded in fear and paranoia anymore but instead, she couldn't help but think of being part in the takedown her child's kidnapper. She wanted to help, she had never been needed for more than child-rearing and just thinking that could do more and help others made her become slightly excited.

"I'll do it Just give me a few days. I am at least a level nine seal maker. I can create something to stop him." She says as she looks up at the Hokage determined to make a change and use one of her few skills to protect her children and her new village.

"Thank you."

She promptly returned home. Sure her talk with the Hokage had not gone as planned but she was going to make sure she created a seal that would stop the man who had hurt Yukio.

During the day she would work on the Temple with Tenzo. She memorized and practice the techniques he taught her. She had even managed to build a place where she could start making Tosa Washi Paper for seals and to repair the broken sliding doors in the temple.

She could barely remember her father making the paper. But with what her mother had taught her she was going to start doing it again. They were Uzumaki and paper was essential to them also with her ability to grow plants she would be able to supplement for her own paper. Besides the paper in the village was not of a quality for Uzumaki seal making.

At night while she took care of Kaida and the kids were sleeping she was studying and working on the seal.

She worked quietly through the night and tried looking through the scrolls to see what she could find that could help her in her quest to making the seal to stop the councilman who had nearly taken her child. She worked until she was too tired to continue to stay awake.

Much to Naruto's disappointment he found himself studying as well.

The children were back to learning and she made sure to drill them on seals. She was also teaching them chapters on Naruto's old class books.

"Mama, but I already passed the classes for that chapter." Naruto grumbled as he was writing notes on her lecture. "It does not matter. This is all very important. Math is very essential to seal making. Think about it. you want to create a seal with a good stasis function and equipped for a heavy object. You have to do math to calculate the mass that will be allowed to fit inside the seal, the time coordinations and the triggers to seal and unseal. If you were to mess up it could be pretty bad and we do not need that happening." She sighed as she patted his head.

"Now, if you are tired of writing, recite your time tables while jump roping. it's good physical exercise and you will find yourself remembering. " She smiled at him as she went back to reading Konoha's history book.

"Tadashi, Hisashi make sure you finish your Kanji sets, I want to see perfect handwriting." She glances at both the boys who were writing in their notebooks with ink brushes.

She rocked Kaida slightly as the small infant was wrapped around her torso. Hayami was also lying asleep beside her and Yukio was playing with a few toys silently.

Everyone else was studying their seals by reading, reciting, writing or reviewing seals.

For once the Uzumaki household was quiet and Mizuko couldn't help but smile. It was rare when they were all quiet, especially in the day time. But she if one thing was for sure she was strict about their studies.

She looked down at the book she had been reading. She had started to also keep a close eye on Naruto's grades and his notebooks making sure he was not sleeping in class or slacking off.

There was not much she could do, but she would make sure all of her children were as educated as they could be.

Naruto POV

" Have a great day at school." Mama smiled as she kissed the top of my head.

"Yes, mama." I smile as I took my bento and hurried to get to the academy on time.

Sure I was still having issues keeping up with Iruka sensei, but studying wasn't that hard and I was getting better at it.

I walked into the academy and hurried to my seat. I looked around as everyone else was coming in. My face flushed as I saw my crush Sakura nearby.

"Alright class, take a seat!"

At the end of the day, I made sure to hurry home. Sure my situation at school hadn't changed much but soon Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, and Nanami would also start the academy.

With Karin around I'm sure she will beat up anyone who says anything mean to us, Ryuu was calmer and he seemed to be a bit more serious but he was fun to play with and surprisingly really strong. Kenta, on the other hand, was a complete troublemaker when he was smiling it usually meant he had instigated a fight or had something up his sleeve. Finally, there was Nanami, She always butted heads with Karin, Kenta usually instigated fights but Karin and Nanami would definitely tag team someone and kick ass together, so I'm sure we would cause mayhem. But hopefully, nobody would call mama. She was terrifying when she was mad.

"I'm home!" I called out as I entered the temple and took my shoes off.

"Welcome home Nii-chan!" Fumiko squealed and smiled meekly. I patted her head and grinned. "Hey'a Fu-chan." I grinned as I noticed her. Unlike Karin and Nanami, Fumiko was calm and quiet. To be honest I think she is just very shy and doesn't like to fight.

"How was the academy?" She asked softly as she tugged on my shirt slightly. "We just studied a lot." I say as look around noticing that the temple was strangely quiet.

"Where is everyone?"I ask as I glance back at her.

"Oh, mama said she was making a garden and is working on the back yard. So everyone is outside playing. I was in here drawing because it's too hot outside." She shrugged and I nodded.

"I'm going out there and see what they're doing."I say as I put up my backpack. "Okay. But I am staying in here." She says as she sits at the dining table with a notebook and pen.

"Big Brother!" Karin smiled as she saw me walk outside. I close the screen door behind me.

"Hey." I smile I notice they were all on the porch. "When did you get here?" Ryuu asked as he was laying down on the wooden floors.

"Just got here, saw Fumiko Inside. Is everyone out there?" I ask and Kenta nods as he poured a glass of what looked to be lemonade.

"Yeah, Mama is working over there though." Kenta points out to the field.

I could tell she was wearing one of her old Yukata's and her sleeves were rolled up. She also had a bamboo hat and seemed to be plowing the ground for her garden.

"How long has she been out there?" I ask worriedly as I watched her from a distance.

"After breakfast, she went out to the market and bought a lot of things. We tried to help her but she sent us back to the house. She only came back to eat lunch and we have been taking her water all day." Karin sighs as she looks out into the field.

"So she doesn't want you helping her?" I asked a bit concerned and she nods.

"She said she wanted us studying our seals. So that is what we have been doing nearly all day. But we decided to study here on the porch so she could see us. You know how she can be sometimes." Ryuu sighed as he looked out into the field as well.

"Did she say what she was growing?" I ask and Nanami shook her head. "Nah, She didn't, but this is the third field she is plowing, She finished the first two earlier today. And they were large plots of soil too." She stated as she pointed to the directions of the other two small fields that Mama had plowed.

"Well, I am going to go help her." I say as I run inside to get my sandals and hurried out into the field.

"Mama!" I call out as I got her attention. She quickly looks up and smiles as she sees me approaching her. "You're back from the academy? That's great! How were your classes?" She asks as she sets down the plow.

"Well, Iruka-sensei went over our next exam and said that report cards will be going out soon. Karin and Ryuu say you have been out here all day." I add frowning as I look at her.

Mama smiled and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Well, I was thinking of what I can do for a job. I decided we can open up a seal shop here for the civilian and shinobi. But we are going to need quality paper so I'll start growing some plants in order to get that started. In the meantime, I also want to open up a stand in the village market. I can make them grow and we can make some good profit from it." She says as she looks around.

"Then why don't you let us help you?" I asked as I looked at her in concern.

"Well you kids have to worry about learning your seals and I want you to focus on your ninja career. I can handle this. Once I finish the plowing I can easily handle the rest." She smiled as she pat my head.

"Mama, Everyone is worried about you. You just had Kaida and you rarely take breaks." I say and she chuckles. "I rested enough back in Kusa. Even if it's hard work it almost feels like a hobby. I used to do this back in the day ya know. When my parents were still alive so I can handle it." She says as she turns back to the fields and look around.

"Now when harvest time comes around you guys can definitely help me out in picking everything up." She adds as she picks up the plow again.

"Besides I'm almost done. Just give me a few hours." She adds as she starts plowing the ground again.

Mother looked exhausted but that did not stop her from being active. She seemed to juggle taking care of everyone, cooking, cleaning, building, repairing, studying and teaching us.

"Everyone bath time, Girls first!" She called out from the kitchen as she was making dinner.

"Come on, Nanami, Fumiko, and Hayami. Mama says we have to take a shower." Karin called out as she started ushering them to the large bathroom.

"Make sure to leave us hot water!" Ryuu called out as he was laying on the ground reading a scroll.

"Yeah, yeah just wait an hour after we shower so that the water warms up." Nanami shrugged as she walked away.

"Smartmouth." Ryuu grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, I have to do my homework." I sighed as I went to get my backpack to study.

"Ryuu could you be a dear and help me with chopping the vegetables?" Mama called out. "Sure thing mama." He rolled up the sealing scroll he was reading and hurried to the kitchen.

"Naruto, make sure you go ahead and get started on your homework." She also calls out.

"Iruka sensei sent my report card." I call back as I opened my backpack and pulled out my folders.

"Really? Bring it here." She calls out. "Sure!" I say as I grabbed it. I was nervous. this was the first time I had to give someone my report card. I hurried to the kitchen.

Mama was washing her hands and wiping them on her apron. "Alright now let's see the report card." She says holding out her hand. I gave it to her and watched as she sat down at our low dining table.

She opened it and I couldn't help but feel nervous as she looked over it. I wasn't one of the best students and I was trying to bring my grades up from before. I didn't want her to be disappointed in me so I had tried my best.

"We have a few C's and D's. But I do see you got a B in your practical. Iruka showed me what most of your grades were beforehand so this is a vast improvement." She says with a small smile on her face.

"Good Job Naruto, Keep up the good work." She smiles as she unseals her ink brush and ink.

"I'll just sign it and you can put it in your backpack, okay." She says as she signs the report card and handed it back to me.

" I know that from here on out you will just get better, so keep up the good work." She smiles as she gets up.

"I will mama! I will do my best." I say determined and with a nod.

"Good, Now I have to finish making dinner. I managed to get some good beef on discount at the market. There is enough that everyone will get some this time around. I will also make some rice and vegetables to go with it so we have enough for everyone." She smiles happily as she goes back to cooking.

"Mama, I finished chopping the vegetables." Ryuu stated as he sat down at the table.

"Big brother Naruto. Wanna go outside and teach me some of the academy kata's?" He asked me excitedly.

"Hmm, I guess I could show you a thing or two. Okay, come on Ryuu." I say trying to hurry out of the room.

"Naruto you better do your homework first." Mama stated not even glancing back at us. I groaned and sighed. "Just give me about half an hour to do my homework then we can go outside."

Mizuko POV

I wanted to write out the seal that I had created for the Hokage but I needed High-Quality paper, well I already had some but if I used it then I would not have any left.

A few days prior I had finally plowed the fields.

I had also bought seeds for the bushes I would use for the paper making. I had woken up extra early and crawled out of the futon to make breakfast.

I quickly cooked an easy breakfast for everyone to eat. I glanced at the clock to see it was 6 a.m, Naruto didn't have to be in the academy till 8 a.m.

I made sure to make his lunch bento from yesterday's leftovers and left it in the fridge. I ate a small breakfast before getting ready to go out.

I put on one of my older yukata's and made sure to roll up the sleeves and tying everything up so that it would not get in my way while I worked. I also put on my apron so that I didn't get too dirty.

I tied all of my hair back and put on my large bamboo hat and slipped on my work shoes. I hurried out of the temple and to one of the plowed fields.

I was carrying a bag full of bush bulbs and quickly started to plant them. I smiled as I worked. Even if it was hard work I did enjoy being able to be outside. It was calm the birds were singing and it wasn't too hot yet.

I hummed as I planted the bulbs. Once I finished I made sure to go and get buckets of water to wet the soil. It would make everything easier when I made the plants grow.

"Mama! I'm heading out now!" I turn to see Naruto waving at me from afar.

"Have a great day at the academy!" I call out and waved at him. It must be around 7:30 or 8:00, well that depends if he had overslept which was one of his bad habits.

I sighed as I looked back at all I had done. I still had a lot of work but that was fine. It was not like I would be able to get a lot done today.

I sighed as I crouched down and looked around me. I closed my eyes and made the ram hand sign. I focused my chakra and started to build it up inside of me.

I pulled my hands apart and push them in the soft soil. I start to pulse my chakra gently. I could feel the small amount of chakra inside of the seeds and I tried to encourage them to grow.

I could feel as my chakra being sapped by the seeds and they start growing.

I couldn't help but smile as I worked on making the plants grow, I couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of the nature around me. I could feel the chakra of other plants but made sure not to pour my chakra into them.

"Mama, do you want to eat lunch?" I heard Fumiko's voice and her small hand on my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and blink as I notice the brightness. "Lunch?" I asked confused and she meekly nodded.

"Yeah, it's around 1 in the afternoon. You have been here for quite a while. Ryuu said to let you be until it was lunchtime. Besides he said you were using your wood style." Fumiko stated and I looked around.

I sweatdropped as I noticed my three different plants had grown massive. "Um yeah, I'll make lunch. No worries." I say as I starred at the plants which were now big enough to be considered trees.

"I'll have to get you guys to help me in making the paper. It seems like I overdid it with the size of the plants." I sigh as I look at the massive plants.

"But I guess I can teach ya'll how to make a quality paper. A good lesson for everyone. We would need to start today since it would take a few days for the bleaching and cleaning process." I nod and smile.

"Here let's go inside. I hadn't planned to be out here that long. I guess I lost track of time." I say as we started to head back to the temple.

Before getting on the back porch, I remove my apron and tried to shake off the dirt so I didn't get the temple dirty. "Place my apron over there." I hand it over to Fumiko so she could place it on the porch.

"Sure mama." She smiled taking the apron and placing it on the porch. I sat down and began taking off my sandals. "Karin! Hows Kaida?" I called out as I started to head inside.

"Yeah, she woke up ate and has been laying on the blanket." She says as she was sitting by a small green blanket laying on the ground where Kaida was wide awake and looking around.

"Stay with her a bit longer, I am going to go and make some lunch. We can then go to the market and see if we can find any good bargains." I smile as I head to the kitchen.

"Mama!" Hisashi squealed as he tugged on my Yukata. "Yes, Hisashi?" I asked as he clung onto my leg as I continued to walk.

"I wanna play mama." Tadashi grumbled as he joined Hisashi and clung onto my other leg. I sighed as I had to drag them in order to walk.

"Play!" Yukio squealed as he belly-flopped on top of Tadashi making him groan.

"I have to cook lunch. I can play with you afterward. Besides we also have to study your seals." I say glancing down at them as they immediately let go.

"No study." Hisashi complained as he sat up and stood up. "I play with someone else." He trouted off.

I chuckle at his reaction knowing that they didn't like to study since they found it boring. I glance over at Tadashi and Yukio who were now laughing and wrestling on the floor.

"Tadashi, Make sure you don't hurt your baby brother." I call out as I head into the kitchen and began cooking.

"Alright, now you are going to help me harvest the branches of the mulberry bushes, well." I glance over at the field and sigh.

"Well more like trees. We are going to split up in teams. Ryuu and Hisashi, Tadashi and Nanami, Yukio and Karin, finally it will be Naruto, Kenta, and Fumiko. I have a few machetes you can use to cut the branches." I say as I point the pile of large sword-like knives.

"Ryuu, Karin, Nanami, Naruto and Kenta ya'll will be the ones using them to cut the branches. Tadashi, Hisashi, Yukio and Fumiko you will help by picking up the branches. Make sure you don't mix up the types of plants. There are three and they look very distinct. We are going to make three different kinds of paper." I say with a large grin.

"The three kinds of paper we are making is Ganpish which has a smooth and shiny finish which will be good to make notebooks. Kozogami which has a more cloth-like finish and great for scrolls, also we need a lot to fix all of the shogi doors in the temple. Finally Mitsumatagami this one has a smooth finish and durable. It is going to be what we mostly use for seals since they are don't bleed through easily and are great conductors for seals. With the different plants we have out here we should be able to make all three." I say with a grin as they were grabbing the machetes.

"I'll sort out the branches so just carry them over to me." I say as I had a lot of ropes and would be staying with Hayami and Kaida as well.

"Also you better not run with those giant machetes, The last thing I need is one of you getting hurt!" I yell as they all hurried off, I let out a sigh as they continued to run away and quickly climb the trees.

It made me nervous to see them climb up the trees holding giant knives and when Naruto put the handle in his mouth to climb the tree I felt my blood pressure rise.

The rest of them followed suit in their big brother's example and I was nearly having a heart attack. "Hey, Make sure you are careful! Don't carry it in your mouth!" I called out but I was unsure if they were ignoring me or couldn't hear me but they climbed the trees without stopping and I could barely see them.

Fumiko, Hisashi, Tadashi, and Yukio were bringing the branches and I sorted them in three different piles. Bulk after bulk I secured them tightly with rope. I smiled as I noticed they had trimmed back nearly all of the trees that I had grown.

"Get some more from that side! Then we will call it a day!" I yell out as they were on the trees cutting branches. "Okay, mama!" I heard Ryuu yell and could see glimpses of them moving through the trees.

I glanced back at the stacks of branches they had already cut down. I had cut them so that they were all nearly the same size so we could easily carry them.

"Mama, How is this going to turn into paper?" Fumiko askes as she looked at the bulks of branches. I chuckled and patted her head.

"Well, it will be a bit of a process but don't worry I'll walk you all through it. Remember the large wooden water tubs I made with the screens, panels and the building I built over by the temple?" I asked and she nodded.

"Well that is what we will be using to make the paper. We will strip the bark off, boil it, then remove the impurities, once we finish with that we will take it to where the stone is and beat it to a pulp. Once we finish with that we will add it to the water along with some tree root and use the screens and panels to shake the water on and create paper. It time-consuming but It will be worth it. We can even dye it if we want." I say smiling.

"Of course we will have to squeeze the water out so I made that giant press the other day and we will then let them sundry." I finish off as I take the branches Tadashi brought to me.

"Once that's done we can sell it and start making seals." I say and she nodded.

" That's so cool." She grinned and I patted her head.

"Now back to work okay?" with that she scurried off.

The rest of the day we hauled the bulks of branches to the workshop I had built. I was quick to show everyone except for Tadashi, Yukio, and Hisashi how to peel the bark off and I used a giant pot to soak them and start to boil the peeled bark

"Well, that's it for this." I say as I lay some cloth on top so that it does boil evenly.

"How long will you boil it for?" Ryuu asks.

"15 to 20 hours. I will make sure that the water doesn't all dry up and tomorrow we will take it to the river so that it soaks in the clean running water for about two to three days. Then we gotta let it sit in the sun for a few days for a natural bleach and then we are going to beat it and turn it into paper." I say with a smile and everyone nods.

"Now back inside, We are going to eat and then I need you guys to let me work on my sealing. I have to see the Hokage tomorrow." I say with a smile as I lead them out of the workshop.

"Mama, you have been working on that seal for a long while now." Nanami says as we make it back to the temple.

"Yeah, he asked me to make it so I will. It's a very high-level seal but I am done with the rough draft. I will start making the final copies tonight. As for all of you, please go ahead and get in the baths. You all smell like sweat." I chuckle as I send them all to take a bath.

I sit down and make sure to change Kaida's diaper. I pull my breast out from my Yukata and I made sure to feed her until she was fast asleep.

I sighed as I let myself relax. So much had happened recently and it almost felt like I barely had time to do anything. I could not help but grimace as I thought of our expenses.

We are a very large family and everyone has a big appetite which is not uncommon since we have massive chakra reserves and we are always moving and burning calories.

But the money the Hokage had given us for the month would not be enough and we still had two more weeks before we got our next stipend. I was going to finish the seal and use the money we make from it to grow a few fruit trees and bushes. I could sell some fruits, maybe even some homemade jam.

But I had to make some kind of income, also I had quickly realized that I need to buy other household accessories and not only that, but the older kids were soon going to outgrow their clothes and some of the handy downs that they were passing to their younger siblings were too torn to continue to use.

I rubbed my face slightly, we needed more food, more clothes, more cleaning supplies, more studying supplies, and maybe a few other things.

Maybe I could sew them new yukata's to use if I bought the cloth in bulk. And Naruto needed a new kunai set for next semester. I could barely imagine the cost of their ninja training equipment when all five of them started school next semester.

I rewrapped Kaida against my back and went to the kitchen to start cooking. I had to make do with the little food we had and make it so they all had their fill.

This was going to be a long day.

Throughout the night I worked diligently to finish the seal that I would be giving to the Hokage. It was like a manipulation seal that would be placed at the base of the neck and would prevent the councilman to manipulate his chakra. That way he would not be able to escape and would follow the Hokage's demands.

Another precaution that I took was that I made us immune to this seal. I would not create something of this caliber and leave us vulnerable to it.

By adding our blood to the main key of the seal it made it so that we would not fall prey to it. Call me paranoid but with what had happened I was still a bit iffy in trusting people. especially shinobi.

That night I went to bed at around 3 a.m knowing that I had to visit the Hokage at 10 a.m, Luckily it was a weekend and everyone was going to be at home.

I woke up to the quiet snores of everyone in the room. Kaida had woken up two hours earlier to eat and get a diaper change. I slowly got up and moved silently across the room.

"Naruto." I whispered gently as I shook him. "Huh? Am I late for class?" He asked as he slowly was waking up. "No, I need to go out today and get a lot of things done. I wanted to know if you could watch Kaida while I am gone. I usually tell Karin but since you are the oldest." I whisper and trail off.

He nodded and slowly pulled away from Yukio and Hayami who had been curled up against him. "Yeah, I can watch her. You know you can count on me Mama." he nodded sleepily and I smiled as I gave him a quick hug.

He smiled as he tiptoed his way to the other side of the room and laid beside his sleeping sister and curled up against her.

I smiled as I quickly went and took a long soothing bath, with everyone asleep I could relax and take my time with things.

I let my sore muscles soak in the nice warm bath. That is until the bathroom door swung open and Hayami yawned loudly.

I stared at her with wide eyes as she walked in dragging her blanket behind her. "Mama bath? " She asked cocking her head and looked at me. I nodded "Yeah, I'm taking a bath."

"Yamyam, bath too?" She asked and I nodded. "Come here I'll take your clothes off first. Leave your blanket there." I say as I pointed away from the bath.

She quickly leaves the blanket and I am quick to remove her clothes and use soap to wash her up. I don't bother wetting her hair since it is so curly and I had already washed and style it the day before.

She splashed in the water while I relaxed in the bath.

A few minutes later we both got out and I dried us up and dressed myself then Hayami.

I had my best yukata on, it was green with light green butterflies and a dark orange sash.

I quickly started to cook breakfast for everyone. I made some cheesy grits, biscuits to be eaten with jam and finally some bacon. I quickly wrote some instructions on how they would split everything up or there would definitely be fighting because someone ate all the biscuits or they didn't get enough bacon.

"Stay here, Mama has to go out." I say as I pat Hayami's head. I took two sealing scrolls and my coin purse. I was going to buy groceries and store it away before meeting up with the hokage. I glanced at the freckle in my hand where I had the compressed storage seal that held the Seal the Hokage had commissioned.

I left the house quickly and strolled down the road. "Good morning!" I greeted an Inuzuka who seemed to be jogging with their dogs. "Morning miss." They smiled back as they went past me.

There were a few Hyuga tending to their gardens. I could see some akimichi talking animatedly as they were heading out of their compound. The further I went into the village, the more lively it became.

I smiled and greeted people as I went by. I stopped by the market and started to search for venders who sold their produce cheaply when bought in bulk. I had to make sure I got the lowest price since I had to buy a lot. Also, food did not last long in the house with 11 growing Uzumaki children running around.

I managed to buy two giant bags of rice for 58 Ryo and 3 big bags of black beans for 86 Ryo. With this, I was sure we would have some food for the next two weeks. One bag of rice could last a week since everyone ate plenty of it.

I was going to buy some meat but it was too expensive. I was starting to think that it would be best to get a chicken coop and have our own chicken to help lower our expenses. I managed to buy some tofu though so hopefully they would not notice the lack of meat in this week's meals.

I counted my money diligently, I bought toilet paper and a few rags and cleaning supplies as well as a new broom. Hopefully, with this, I would not spend any more for the upcoming week.

"May I ask what time it is?" I asked a merchant. "It's about to be around 9:40." He stated and I gave him a quick thanks. I quickly made sure to seal everything away and hurried to the Hokage building.

I greeted the ninja in the front office as I passed by and hurried to the office. "I need to see the Hokage." I Informed the secretary. "Of course Uzumaki-san. He is already waiting for you. You can go ahead." She smiled and I nodded.

I gently lifted my hand and knocked on the wooden doors. "Come in." I heard him say and I quickly opened the door.

"Hokage-sama ." I bowed as I greeted him. "Mizuko-san please take a seat." He stated and I nodded.

I saw him wave his hand and the room felt less crowded. Maybe he had shinobi in here beforehand.

I silently sit down and looked at him. "So do you have what I need?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes, I made the seal. I just have to key it in with your chakra and it will be under your command." I say as I unseal the carefully crafted seal.

It was in a large scroll and I set it down on the table.

"So tell me, what does the seal do." He asked and I nodded as I opened the scroll.

"The seal is meant to stop a shinobi. The chakra still flows but in a way that they can not control it. It is placed at the base of the neck and intercepts with the brains signals that go through the spine. Since movements are caused by the brain sending out signals if we can control that we can control the person."

"Any signal sent out to move the chakra is nullified and the person who has keyed in the chakra to the seal's main control will be able to control the person sealed. In this case, it would be me and you since I created it my chakra is already keyed in and when I add your chakra you will also be able to monitor the seal." I say as I unroll the scroll.

"If you could just place a finger here and push some chakra in, this will make you immune to the seal and also give you control over the seal." I say as he placed his finger on the seal and pumped a bit of his chakra in the seal.

"The person who the seal is placed on will be obedient towards the people who are keyed into the seal. So if you tell him to confess to his crimes he will, The same goes for asking him to stand down." I say with a firm nod and he slowly nods as he looks at me.

"Almost like a manipulation seal?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yes, and there are some aspects of my previous works, like the seal I placed on my children, which is the seal of a thousand eyes but unlike that seal which is harmless, this one is also not restricted by distance, so no matter where he is in the elemental nations. Another thing about this specific seal is that we can send a specific pulse of chakra which would send lightning style chakra up his spine and into his brain. Five seconds of it can cause him to become paralyzed from the neck down. Ten seconds would allow him to lose all control of his body. Fifteen would kill him." I say.

"I see, so you thought out the functions of the seal that would suit keeping someone that is highly skilled in check. Also since you brought it up. What is the seal of a thousand eyes?" He asks and I flushed.

"it's a compressed chakra seal. It's as small as a freckle on the hand. The function on it is to track the person who has it." I say slightly embarrassed since it was one of my first seals and not really that high leveled.

"I made it when I was around nine or ten, It was so that no ninja or doctors in Kusa could take Karin from me and that I would be able to find her no matter what. I've refined it now that I am older and have the finished product which they all have. But if they are ever kidnapped I will be able to find them. My mother had one as well and with the Key that let her track us. I know it will continue to work until two hours after death." I say bashfully.

"Does Naruto have the seal?" he asked and I nodded. "He does but due to the fact that he has another seal on his stomach, I had to get creative on the application of it. It does not disturb the other seal in any kind of way. But I do have some questions about it." I say as I glance at the Hokage.

"The seal on Naruto is made by a seal master of at least a ten caliber. I can also tell that to finish the seal the Shinigami was called and due to the detail on it, they must've paid a hefty price which I conclude that they died after the sealing. No one but an Uzumaki can summon the Shinigami for favors and not give their soul in return. And even then we would have to be in the mask temple with rituals made by an Uzumaki priest or priestess." I add as twiddled with my fingers.

"The seal lets the chakra coils become accustomed to some chakra and has fragments of the casters chakra sealed within them. What is the purpose of such a high leveled seal?" I ask and the Hokage sighed.

"I hoped that you would have not asked since it is a prominent village secret." He sighed as he sat back. " You must not tell anyone, Speaking about it is punishable by death." He stated and I gulped and nodded.

"His mother came to Konoha as the next Uzumaki ambassador and to be the vessel that contained the Kyuubi, She would host the demon in her body and use his chakra to fight. The sealed weakened while she gave birth and the Kyuubi attacked our village. Naruto was chosen as the next Jinchuriki by his mother and father. The Yondaime sealed the beast in his belly button as a newborn."The Hokage stated and I nodded.

"The Yondaime must've sealed a bit of lady Kushina's chakra inside him when this happened. Maybe it was so that he would not be affected by the negativity around him. Maybe that is why Naruto was not so damaged when I first met him. I will speak with lady Kushina and find out." I say determined to know more.

"Speak with her? She is dead." He stated in shock. I grinned at him.

"Uzumaki do not fear death, The shinigami favors us greatly. He lets us summon the spirits of our dead through the mask temple. They can rise and fight for us, teach us and comfort us. I am not a skilled priestess but I can learn and bring them back. Even if it's for a little while. Naruto deserves that much and we can find out more about what happened that night directly from her."

He stares at me for a moment in disbelief. "Back to this seal. Manipulate, negate chakra usage, track and exterminate. It will do all of those and let you interrogate the man. If you can get him to sit still with a paralysis tag and chakra restraints. It will take me less than five seconds to apply this seal." I say as I open the scroll more.

It rolls slightly as it opens completely showing the ten feet worth of seals written on the scroll. "Uzumaki style: Fuin, Compress!" I yell and the seal starts to slowly get smaller and move into itself in intricate patterns. The Hokage watches as the ten feet of seals compresses itself into a tiny single coma in the middle of the scroll.

"Now when will we meet this councilman?" I asked with a grin.

So this chapter is done. I was very unsure of how to get to this point and I hope you like it. Yes, Mizuko can do many things. No, she can't summon the dead now like the Uzumaki priestess. She would emerge herself in studies and need to be at least a level 14 seal master which she still has 5 levels to go and it will not be easy to get there.

I tried to do more character development for everyone. Tadashi, Hisashi, Hayami, Yukio, and kaida are four years old or less so they don't talk much and always stay near Mizuko since they are still babies.

Yes, the children cause mayhem and if you want to know they ignored her when she told them not to run with the giant machetes in their mouths while climbing the trees because they were excited and she can't climb trees so what she gonna do. yell at them from the ground?!

comment on what you liked and if something does not makes sense and you want it explained I'll do so in the next chapter as part of the story or in the comments.

BYE

Rosymalik


	11. Chapter Ten: Downfall

Mizuko POV_

"I have everything planned out. I will send a ninja to pick you up when we have Danzo in custody." The Hokage stated as he grabbed the seal.

"Now I must ask how much will you be selling this seal for?" He asked and I blinked and looked down at the rolled-up scroll.

"I am not sure how much I will charge for it." I say twiddling with my yukata slightly.

"Ninja have A- D ranked missions right? A being the highest rank. Since it is such a high-level seal then maybe the price of a mid-ranged A-ranked mission." I stated with a nod.

"So an A-rank mission cost?" He asked and I nodded. "Then it will be done." He chuckled and snapped his fingers.

I flinched as I noticed a masked ninja appear beside me in a kneeled position.

" Mizuko-san is selling her seal to us for the cost of a mid-A-ranked mission cost. Fetch that." He stated and waved his hand in a dismissive way.

"Hai Hokage-sama." The man in an animal mask stated as he vanished. Those must be the ninja that Naruto had mentioned.

"As you know my ninja are the ones wearing the animal masks. If you do happen to see another blanked masked ninja, Please do let us know. I would not like risking your children's or your own safety with them." The Hokage stated and I nodded.

" I will make sure that you are informed if they come after us again." I say as the ninja appeared again in a kneeling position beside me.

The Hokage motioned for the ninja to move forward and placed a scroll on the table.

I stared at the Masked ninja for a moment. From their form and body, I could not tell if it was a man or female and they had short fuzzy brown hair. I did not hear them speak either so it was not like I could tell their gender that way either. As for their chakra, I could barely feel the presence of it.

"Here it is." The Hokage stated making me look at him again. He unrolled the scroll and placed his hand over the seal. "Release."

"400,000 Ryo." He stated as the stacks of money appeared, I could not help but gawk. "400,000?" I asked timidly. My heart seemed to be beating out of my chest as I saw the amount of money.

"Yes, this is the agreed payment for your work Mizuko-san, Konoha thanks you for your service." He smiles gently and I slowly nod as I watch him reseal the stacks of money. He easily rolls it up and hands it to me.

I shakily reach out and take it.

"T-thank you." I say as I stared at the scroll in my hands. All financial worries that I had earlier seemed to melt away. We would have food, clothes, and money to supply my children's shinobi equipment for the upcoming semester.

"It's no problem at all, You are doing our Village a great favor with this." He stated as he took the scroll with my seal and stored it away.

"Now, Is there anything else that you would like to discuss?" He asked and I slowly shook my head and stood up.

"Thank you again, My family is grateful for being here and under your gracious care." I stammer out and he chuckles.

"Konoha is happy to have you here, and so is young Naruto. I am just glad that he was able to find a semblance of family." He stated as he took out his pipe.

I smile and nod. "I am glad that I was able to find him and let him be a part of us. " I say with a bow as I was dismissed.

I held onto the scroll tightly as I hurried out of the office. I looked around and noticed there was no place for me to open it. I hurried to the restroom and quickly entered one of the stalls. I sat on the toilet after checking that it was clean and the top was closed.

Slowly I unraveled it and build up my chakra. "Release." I whisper as the money came to view. I grabbed one of the stacks and removed the band on it. Hundred Ryo bills freshly printed rested on my hands. I took a couple hundred out and stuffed them in my coin purse before sealing the money again and then sealing the scroll in a seal on my arm.

I hurried out of the restroom and hurried out of the building. I was going shopping. I hurried through the streets with a smile on my face. When I got to the temple I hurried inside.

"Is everyone up?" I asked as I walked in. I could hear them being loud and rowdy in. "Mama is home!" I heard a squeal and everyone was at the door ready to greet me.

"Mama!"Fumiko cried out as she rushed into my arms sniffling. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" I asked before I notice her swelling eye.

"What happened to Fu-chan?" I asked seriously as I looked up.

Ryuu grimaced and Naruto crossed his arms.

"Well go ahead and tell mama what happened." Naruto stated and I wasn't sure who he was referring too. Kenta snickered as he looked at his siblings. I crouched down to take a better look at Fumiko and her eye was nearly swollen shut.

"Somebody better speak up before I lose my patience." I say as Yukio hugged my arm and squealed happily.

"Fumiko cry, They did it. Like, Ouch and she cry mmhmm." Hisashi nodded as he pointed at Karin and Nanami. I cocked a brow and the looked bashful.

"It was an accident, Nanami wouldn't let go of my bowl and we were fighting for it. I didn't see her behind me and when I yanked the bowl my elbow hit her."Karin stated as she looked down.

"I just wanted for bacon because she grabbed Hayami's share after she finished eating." Nanami stated and I frowned and let out a sigh.

"I am very angry to have to come home and see your sister bruised because you two were fighting. Nanami if Hayami finished her food and Karin took it, you should have let it be. After it was in Karin's plate it was no longer up for grabs, Karin you should have been careful and if there was an issue you know you could have told me later on even if Nanami did take it from you. You know very well that I would have spanked her." I say with a sigh as I place my hand in Fumiko's mouth.

"Go ahead and bite. It should at least reduce the swelling." I sigh and she did as she was told. By now there was a scar on my hand from letting them bite me whenever they got hurt and biting myself as well.

I could see the swelling go down but there was still some discoloration and she was able to open her eye.

"Now I was coming here so excited to bring the good news about the seal. I was able to sell it for a good Ryo and we are going shopping. Now with what happened I kinda want to leave you two home for your behavior but in the end, you need clothes as well. So we are going out. Get dressed and hurry. You two better not ask for any treats. When we get back I'll see that you both get your punishment." I say as I stand up.

"Naruto how's Kaida?" I ask and he smiled. "She's awake, She ate about an hour ago and I just changed her diaper."He stated as he showed me the bundle in his arms.

"Ryuu, Kenta make sure everyone is ready. I'm going to the Tosa washi shop and make sure there is still enough water in the pot." I say as I hurried outside.

I opened the shop and peered and checked the pot to see it was a little low on water. I hurried to grab a bucket with a storage seal and hurried to the river to fill it up.

I sealed a couple of gallons in the bucket and hurried back before I started to pour clean water into it. A few more hours and it would be ready for me to clean it and then I could start getting ready to make paper.

Everyone was chatting and following me. I had Kaida wrapped around in front of me and Hayami on my back. Yukio was holding onto my Yukata and everyone else followed beside me.

I was happy that I was able to bring them out. "Mama, we buy?" Tadashi asked and I nodded. " We are getting a lot of things today you'll see." I smile as I pat his head. I tried to overwhelm them with my chakra as I could see people looking at us in distaste.

I found the closest clothing store and hurried inside. "Hello, How can I help you today." I young woman smiled and I grinned. "We are just looking for clothes. You know how kids are, always running around and growing faster than stocks of weed." I say light-heartedly.

"Of course. We have of all sizes are you looking for anything in particular?" She asks and I nod. " We will be needing to sew our family crest on them and if we can get Yukata style clothing that would be great." I say and she nodded.

"Well I can get you all measured, Come on back." she nodded. We followed her and the girls were quick to try and go first. With a quick glare, Karin and Nanami stopped trying to be the first ones to go through and let Fumiko go first.

"Wow, that's a nasty bruise what happened?" The seamstress asked and Fumiko flushed."My sisters were fighting and Big sister Karin accidentally elbowed me in the eye. Mama was really mad." She nodded and the woman nodded as she wrote down her measurements.

"Is that so? I'm sure it will heal up soon then. Alright, who is next?" She asked and Kenta quickly hurried forward. "Me!" He grinned as he bounced excitedly. "Ah, so what's your name young man?" She asked and he grinned. "I'm Kenta."

"Ah, are you her older brother?" She asked as she mentioned Fumiko. "Yeah, that''s my Kid sister." He nodded as she measured him quickly. "That's good, you better take care of her and make sure she doesn't continue to get hurt." She says as she finished with him and called the next one up.

"Who's next?" she asked and Ryuu stepped up. "Well well look at this handsome young man."She grinned and he blushed slightly. "So what's your name?" She asked him as she began taking his measurements. "I'm Ryuu, I'm the third oldest." He stated with a firm nod. "Nice to met ya, I'm Riku-san by the way." She says as she writes down the measurements.

"Karin You can go ahead now." I nudge her forward. "Hi." She says shyly as Riku-san started to take her measurements. "So I am guessing you are one of the oldest ones?" Riku-asked and Karin nodded."I'm the second oldest. Naruto is the oldest of us." She says as her nervousness starts to dissipate.

"Is that so? Well you are quite the older sister, ain't ya?" She asked and Karin nodded. "Alright, who's next?" Riku asked and Nanami walked forward. "Well ain't you a pretty gal as well?" She asked and Nanami grinned. "Ya! Look a lot like Mama and she's really pretty."

I couldn't help the blush on my cheeks as Nanami says this. "Yeah, Yeah she sure is. I''m sure she would look splendid in one of our nicer seasonal Kimono and yukata. "She semi whispered back at her and Nanami's eyes widened. "Yeah, she would!" She grinned and glanced at me.

"Go ahead Naruto." I say as I nudge him forward. He looked a little pale and very nervous. I noticed Riku-san give him a strained smile.

"Hi." Naruto smiled weakly as she began to take his measurements, I could see the slight shakiness of her hands as she measured him as well. "What's your name." She asked trying to seem calm.

"I'm Naruto, And they are all my kid siblings." He grinned as he calmed down and glanced at the kids. "Is that so?" She asked and he nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, Mama adopted me and I watch over them all the time. When I grow up I'm going to protect Mama from any scary ninja that want to hurt her and I'm going to make sure all my baby siblings are safe too. Then Imma be Hokage and protect the village too." He grins and nods excitedly.

She paused for a moment and stared at him. "I see, So do you take care of them often?" She asks him and he nods.

"Yeah, I'm training to be a ninja so mama lets me watch over them sometimes and lets me take to them to the park. I have to make sure they don't get hurt or fight. But that's okay because I like them even when they are fighting or throwing tantrums." He says as she finishes up.

"It's good to know you are a good big brother." She says as Naruto hurries over to me. "Now hold Kaida, I want to get measured as well." I say as I unwrap the blanket and hand her over to him.

"Come one Hisashi, It's your turn." I say and help her measure him since he squirmed a bit and Tadashi went afterward.

"All right Miss, I guess it is your turn. May I ask your name so I can place it on your order?" she asked and I nodded. "Mizuko Uzumaki." I say with a nod as she begins to measure me.

" Alright, Mizuko-san. As for yourself what kind of clothing are you looking for?" she asked and I hummed. "A simple printed Yukata's would be fine. They would be for my day to day wear and I tend to work outside a lot and need something I can easily move in." I say and she nods.

" I must say I do recommend you get better undergarments as well, I have a wide selection that would fit you better. The bra does seem to be a tad bit too tight." She points out and I nod. "We can also go over the fabrics for clothes as well. I'm sure the girls will be excited to pick out a few outfits." She says and I nod.

Unfortunately, she was right and the girls were excited to pick out brightly colored prints for their clothes and to be honest so were the boys. As for Hisashi and Tadashi, I got them patterns that would fit girls and boys since they would outgrow their clothes fast. Yukio, Hayami, and Kaida were going to get their handy downs when they outgrew their own clothes which were also handy downs from their older siblings.

As I placed the order for their Yukata's I also went ahead and bought them new shoes and some training clothes along with a few unisex t-shirts and shorts since there was no point in separating the clothes too much since they always stole each other's clothing. To be honest Fumiko was wearing one of Naruto's old t-shirts and shorts that she managed to find.

"Wanna go home." Hisashi stated as he pulled on my Yukata. "I'm still looking for clothes. Wait a minute."I say as I was looking through the rack of clothes.

"Mama! Can we get these skirts!" Fumiko asked holding up three pairs of skirts in different sizes. Karin and Nanami were behind her looking excitedly. "what would you wear them with?" I asked with a sigh. "They would look good with a few t-shirts!" Karin blurted out and I sighed.

"Try them on and if they fit you can get them." I say as I went back to looking through the clearance racks.

"Look at this mama! They are so pretty!" Kenta held up a few colorful shirts and I looked over at him and he grinned even more. "They are a bit girly colored but if you like them you can get them." I say and he squealed as he dumped them in the cart.

I grinned as I found a few cute overalls and quickly placed them in the cart. I sighed as I noticed the stack of clothing and started to sort them out on what we were taking and what we weren't.

"Mama!" Yukio sniffled against my Yukata and I picked him up. I could tell he was already sleepy. Hayami and Kaida were now taking a nap and I couldn't carry him around as well.

"Naruto could you hold little Yukio. I think he is tired." I say and he nods and picks up Yukio who quickly laid his head against Naruto's shoulder and snuggled against him. "Start bringing the what you want now. We are leaving." I say and they all start to gather around me.

Karin, Fumiko, and Nanami picked some clothing they liked and so did Ryuu, Kenta, and Naruto. Tadashi and Hisashi had been playing around and not even looked around. I was already exhausted and a bit hungry by now and we hurried to the counter to pay.

"Alright, so all of this plus your custom orders of Yukata's will cost 760 Ryo." She smiled and I blanched slightly.

"That's a lot." Naruto grumbled as he glanced at the bag pile of clothing. "Here you go." I stated as I handed her 800 Ryo. Well at least everyone got clothes.

Even I had managed to pick out a few pants and shirts, I even got a few sundresses as well.

"Now can I get the address of where to deliver the yukata's," Riku asked and I nodded. "Here I will write it down." I say as I wrote down the address for the masked temple.

"I have never seen that address before. She stated as she looked at the address. "It''s a bit far out but you know when you are going down the 15th street where a few of the major clan entrances are. Past the Hyuga and Inuzuka clan entrances, there is a massive red Torii gate." I say as I begin to explain the directions to our clan temple.

There is the Mask Shinto shrine and behind it is the Uzumaki mask temple. We live there but either I or one of the kids will answer if you ring the Shrine bell." I say and she nods slowly.

"So you're a priestess?" She asks and I blush. "Not exactly but maybe in the future, the shrine will be opened to the public." I say and she nods. "What about the clan symbol that you want?" She asks and I nod. "It's a red swirl, like uh." I glance around and notice it on one of the flak jackets.

"That. It's exactly like this." I say pointing at it. "I do apologize but that is a symbol for our shinobi, I can't place that on the clothing." She says and I cock a brow.

"That's impossible, The Uzumaki clan symbol was red swirl to represent the whirlpools in our homeland and the red is for our hair." I say incredulously.

"I was told that your ninja wear it to honor our clan who was massacred by three shinobi nations at the end of the second war. Being that we were your sister village and that Lady Mito was one of our matriarchy and wife of the Shodai Hokage." I stated and she stared at me wide-eyed.

"Oh, Well then if it is your clan symbol I can embroider it on." She nods as she gave me the receipt.

"It will take at least three weeks before I bring them, also I will make it so that the children can grow with them as well." She says and I nod. "Thank you so much." I grin and she smiled back. "No thank you for your patronage." She bows and I instantly seal the bag in my arm. "Uzumaki style: Fuin Seal." I say and it all vanishes.

I waved and we hurried out of the store. "So what are we doing now?" Ryuu asks. "Hungry!" Tadashi groans loudly.

"Well, we can eat out. This is a one time opportunity. So we can go get all you can eat barbecue and call it a day. I have to go back home and get started on the boiling the next batch and letting the current batch sun bleach." I sigh.

"We have never eaten out before!"Fumiko squeals and Naruto is slightly taken back. "Really?" he asks and Kenta nods. "Yeah mama or Lady always cooked and we weren't let out much and while we were coming here she would always cook at the campfire!" He stated and Naruto looked horrified.

"So none of you have ever had ramen? That's horrible! I promise that when I become a ninja I'll take you all out for ramen! Believe it!" He grinned.

"Really?" Kenta asked excitedly and Naruto nodded.

Dinner was rowdy, thankfully it was an all you can eat buffet and they were eating like it was their last meal. The server looked at us in curious shock as Ryuu happily ordered more food since we were running out.

Plates had piled up and the lady had already asked us if we were relatives to the akimichi clan. I could see why she thought that being that they were eating so much. I was now kind of realizing how much we ate compared to other people. Which had been something I hadn't realized before.

Once we were done I made sure to pay the tab and leave a tip for the waitress and we all filed out of the restaurant

"Man that hit the spot. I never ate so much before." Karin groaned as she rubbed her stomach. Everyone looked tired and ready to take a nap. "I had been thinking of making another stop but I guess everyone is tired and ready to go home." I asked as I was burping Kaida who I had just breastfed.

"Go home." Tadashi groaned as well and we were off.

"Mama, can we have dango?" Fumiko asked as we were about to walk past a Dango shop. I closed my eyes slightly I had nearly spent 1,000 Ryo on this trip alone. Surely I could indulge them in one final treat.

"Sure honey. Karin, Naruto go and buy some Dango." I say pulling out my purse and looking at the menu at the 12 Dango for 24 Ryo.

"Get 12 of them." I say handing Karin 24 Ryo. "Okay." Karin nods and they both hurry to get the food.

We waited a while and they both returned quickly with the food. I glance back and notice that Hayami was wrapped on my back and quickly get her off. "She can walk. Naruto make sure to take her hand."I say as I set her down and sigh. "One for each person." I say and hand them all one even the little ones. I was left with two and I was happily eating both of them.

"When we get home I want you all to go ahead and put the clothes away. Then start cleaning up. Fumiko is watching Kaida, Everyone else is going to dust, sweep and scrub the temple floors. Take the dirty laundry out and start a prewash for everything. I will be in the Tosa washi shop working on getting the bark bleached and then I will go and do the laundry at the river." I say as I look up.

"Tomorrow we will wash the futons and I am going to start the second batch of bark bleaching and I am going to work on the shrines constructions and seals."I say and they all groan.

"Karin and Nanami will be washing the bathrooms for the next two months for giving your sister a black eye and fighting." I add and they whimper silently.

It had been a few days before I was summoned by a ninja. I was quick to place everyone on lockdown in the temple just in case of retaliation.

Where I was I had no idea but it was in the Hokage tower. It was also dark and I was waiting in a quiet dark space along with the Anbu.

I looked around and noticed that we were in the Hokage office. From behind the masked ninja, I could see glimpses of the inside of the Hokage office and could hear his muffled voice.

From his stern tone, he seemed pretty angry. I had been told to suppress my chakra and so I wasn't able to sense much since I had made it almost nonexistent.

The Shinobi seemed to be in high alert. I was holding the seal I had created and had a ink brush with ink in hand just in case I had to make a seal suddenly.

I was nervous. This was it we would confront the man who had nearly taken my son.

Third Person Pov

Danzo had not been too concerned. He already knew how he was going to deal with Hiruzen.

Before the Uzumaki had arrived in Konoha he had already had a taste of his wrath.

There were times when Danzo forgot how much of a threat Hiruzen could really be. His calm demeanor, kindness and the way he acted almost like a grandfather figure seemed to always hide his true shinobi nature.

If anything Hiruzen was quite a ruthless man and his act always seemed to make people forget that he led the village through 2 wars and disasters. He had been Hokage for nearly 45 years and it wasn't because he was a suck-up to anybody.

He was the perfect politician, and at the same time a strong ninja. Danzo knew that Hiruzen was well aware of what he had been doing. Hiruzen had been the one to approve of the root program knowing what methods were used, he had done the same for Orochimaru's experiments with the First Hokage cells.

He was the man that led a village full of highly trained killers and was able to keep them all in check.

But with Shisui's eye, he was no longer a threat. When Hiruzen had stormed in furiously after the Uchiha massacre ready to kill him for undermining his orders Danzo had used his trump card and Hiruzen had been pacified.

After calming down Hiruzen was quick to take advantage of the situation and Itachi was made a double agent to a high criminal organization. Itachi would probably never recover from the massacre and he had been shocked when the Hokage easily deployed him to a new post right after he murdered his whole family.

The only thing Danzo could think when he heard of the situation was 'ruthless'. Giving the boy no time to recover or mourn, and still secure and have his undying loyalty, he was jealous of that.

Sure he could be ruthless as well but Hiruzen had a charm that made men follow him all the way to their deaths, Danzo had to beat it into his agents and even then it was still not the same result.

Even as Hiruzen deployed the young Uchiha prodigy to the Akatsuki, he spoke in a way that assured Itachi's complete loyalty to him.

He had been expecting to be called into Hiruzen's office and made sure to wrap his bandages tightly.

He had not yet received his new Sharingan eyes on his arm that would enable him to use Izanagi. Being that Orochimaru was still working on it and Danzo had not yet given him the Sharingan in case he tried to double-cross him.

He walked into the office as Hiruzen let out a cloud of smoke.

"Sit down." he stated and Danzo looked at the chair suspiciously. "Did I stutter?" The Hokage asked in a stern voice and slightly tilted his head.

Danzo obliged and quietly seated himself.

"I've told you about root. I specified what you were not to do. I gave an order for them to be left alone. And yet your anbu were seen taking a small Uzumaki child. Would you care to explain why?" He asked in a calm voice as he sat back on his chair acting nonchalant as he questioned Danzo.

Danzo looked at him, he masked his expression as he was questioned. "I had no idea that the child was an Uzumaki. A mistake on my behalf." He replied in an even tone.

"I see, so you must be growing very senile. To make such a blunder. Guess you thought I would not have methods to prevent someone from taking newly arrived refugees, huh? Especially of such high prestige." Hiruzen cocked a brow and Danzo frowned at the comment.

"Their talents would be wasted there. Raised by a civilian-" he began in a calm even tone and Hiruzen lifted his hand up.

"By a civilian who is able to use two kekkei Genkai and has managed to teach all of her children chakra control to a caliber that they do not need hand signs to use seals or basic chakra exercises. "He stated with a look of annoyance on his face. The look was daunting and one that you would give someone who was wasting your time with something trivial.

"I will assume you know the lost art of the Uzumaki sealing as well. Since that civilian was going to teach him that and you wanted to take him away." He added with a cocked brow as he let out a cloud of smoke.

Danzo was quiet, He could see the flawed logic in his previous statement.

"Naruto has even grown under her tutelage, Has started to show signs as a chakra sensor. Better work ethics, more emotionally stable. Plenty of good traits are coming up and a seal apprentice of a lost art. A great boon to Konoha if I say so myself. So rephrase that for me. I do not seem to understand why you kidnapped a child I specified to be under protected authority." He stated again as he glared at Danzo.

Even as he sat in front of him, Danzo could feel Hiruzen's killer intent. He was sweating and trying to speak but the chakra was oppressive to the point he found it hard to breathe. He knew Hiruzen was pressuring him.

Danzo knew that he only had one chance to use Shisui's eye, he started to build up chakra to Shisui's eye and tried to convey that it was not a big deal, to not be angry and that he should forgive him and even give him one of the Uzumaki to be trained by him.

As Danzo was doing this he felt a sharp pain in his eye and had to avoid flinching. The pain made his head hurt and his vision blurry.

'It has been two years, there should be enough chakra to make this illusion.' Danzo thought to himself and in those few seconds Hiruzen flared his chakra. "What do you think you are doing." The Hokage stood up abruptly glaring at Danzo.

Danzo could feel the illusion that he had been making shattering and he was trying to understand why. Shisui's Sharingan was supposed to be unrivaled when it came to illusions.

Before Danzo could defend himself properly Hiruzen had moved quickly. He slammed his bo staff against Danzo's chest making him stumble back.

Danzo was quick to regain his balance and he pulled out a Kunai to block the next incoming attack.

His body suddenly froze up and he could feel his chakra being held back. He struggled to move when he realized the chair must've had some seals on it like how he had suspected in the first place.

"You stupid fool."Hiruzen hissed out as he ripped the bandages off Danzo's face and saw the Sharingan implanted in his eye socket.

A flash of anger appeared on Hiruzen's face and Danzo was being choked by the killing intent.

"I see, so that is why I had not dealt with you before. Anbu hold him down. Mizuko-san you may go ahead." The Hokage order and Mizuko was brought down by a ninja. She reached forward and yanked down Danzo's Yukata to have a better view of his neck.

"Uzumaki Style, Fuin: Divine Retribution, Seven Trigram seal!" She pushed chakra into the seal. Black and red ink seemed to flow through Danzo's body and he fell to his knees screaming in agony. The small coma was pulsing against his neck stopping his chakra functions and not letting him move as it adjusted itself.

He felt like his muscles were heavy and he could barely twitch.

"Compress." She stated and the seal begins its final stages of compression. Danzo let out a scream of agony as his eyes rolled back. "Silence." She hissed angrily and he was suddenly quiet. He was still in pain but he obeyed.

"It is done." She stated as she stepped back breathing heavily. The Hokage glanced at her and back at Danzo. "Did you or did you not steal Shisui's eye? answer me." Hiruzen asked.

Danzo groaned as he began to speak up. "I stole his eye and nearly killed him." He confessed, his eyes were dilating and he grunted in pain as he tried to fight against the seal.

"Did you bring Root ninja here? What were their orders?" Hiruzen asked and Danzo let out another groan as he tried to stay quiet. "Yes, If I was taken prisoner their job was to break me out." he replied.

"Anbu taking him to ibiki. Danzo you will go with them and you will remain imprisoned. I'll deal with you later. But before that." He reached forward and plucked the Sharingan eye out of him. Danzo screamed in agony.

"That pain you are feeling, that is what shisui felt when you plucked his eye and killed him." Hiruzen growled as he held the eye in his hand and then glanced at Mizuko.

"That seal, I have never seen anything like that before. Mizuko you shall never make such seals for any ninja in this village. Only for the Hokage if they request it. I fear what would happen if anybody got ahold of that." He stated and she quickly nodded.

''Take her home. I have a traitor to deal with." He hissed and the Anbu was quick to return her to the Uzumaki temple.

Shisui's eye: In the anime and manga Itachi states that keeping the eye is useless because it takes 10 years for them to recharge it to be used again (For a non-Uchiha that is)

So if Sasuke was 6-7 when the massacre happened Danzo could have used the eye to convince Itachi to kill the clan or to convince Hiruzen to not retaliate and act passively. Or maybe to make Orochimaru make him that Sharingan arm and not double-cross him.

Ten years later Danzo uses the eye on the Samurai from the land of iron, the eye becomes useless and he states that he had to wait ten years to use it again so he had used it before but we do not know for what and at the end. I think it fits well with the story.

Usually, my chapters are longer but I have nothing else to write for this chapter. we had the Uzumaki fam have a nice day out and we finally saw Danzo's downfall. I will write more about my happy Uzumaki family so best be on the lookout for it!!!

Rosymalik


	12. Chapter Eleven: Wild

(From left to right, Ryuu and Kenta, next row is Kaida, Karin, Fumiko, Naruto, Nanami! (She wild) then little Hayami squealing. On the floor, Yukio Fighting with Tadashi whie Hisashi cries because he is being squished. You're welcome)

the drawing is on my Instagram Yaoi_smutsmut

Mizuko Pov_

I let out a long sigh, I had returned from the Hokage's office a few hours prior.

Due to the fact that Danzo's subordinates might retaliate there were Anbu stationed around the temple and we were forced to stay inside.

Even Naruto was skipping class for the day because of this. Now, normally I would not mind. But being that we all had to stay inside in the temple it made things a bit hard.

"My Mama!" Tadashi was fighting with Hayami and she was getting angrier by the second. I could hear her shrill screams as she yelled out gibberish while pointing at me and throwing things at her older brother.

To make things worse, the older kids decided to play catch the ninja and Hisashi was crying loudly and tugging at my Kimono because they would not play with him.

I rocked little Kaida as she squirmed and was screaming at the top of her lungs because she was tired and everyone was being too loud.

Usually, at this point I would send everyone outside, except for the little ones so that we could have some peace and quiet but due to the Hokage's orders and the risks they were to stay inside.

"No! My Mama!" Hayami angrily picked up a ball and threw it at Hisashi who she hit due to missing Tadashi, he simply took the hit and fell over and cried even louder. "Oww! Mama, She hurt me!" He shrilled and I pulled him to my lap and rubbed his head.

"No Hayami! That is not okay young missy! Why did you throw that at your brother?" I scolded and she looked at me with wide eyes.

"You have been picking fights all afternoon." I say frowning at her before she also started crying loudly.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Come here." I say and she walked up to me, I pulled her in a one-arm hug and pat her back. "You just need to stop fighting so much." I sigh.

Before she could pull away Hisashi yanked her back by her pigtail making her fall on the floor and cry loudly.

"Dumb dumb!" He grinned mischievously as he stuck his tongue out and hugged me tightly.

I closed my eyes and slightly seethed in anger. Everyone was acting out, misbehaving and crying. "Hisashi!!! What did you do to Yamyam-chan?! That's it Everyone get your little butts over here. I can't have you all running around like a headless chicken!" I yelled out angrily as I rocked a still crying Kaida.

"Oh no. Mama is mad." Tadashi called out as he pointed at me.

"If all of you don't line up in front of me by the time I count down to Zero I am going to spank your behinds so hard that you won't want to sit down for weeks!" I exclaim angrily as everyone seemed to finally stop and stare at me as I was fuming at this point.

"Five! Four!-" As I started the count down all of them were scrambling to form a line and get look as innocent as possible.

"Three! Two!-" I continued and they were all running into the room as fast as their little legs could take them.

"One! Zero!" I say and all ten of them stood quietly in front of me.

"Now, I know you want to play but you know that I don't like it when you run around in the temple and that the secret passageways in the walls are not hiding spots! Second, I need for you, you, and you to stop fighting. " I was pointing at them and lecturing them.

"Everyone strip down and go take a bath! Everyone needs to cool off. Karin, Fumiko, Ryuu, Kenta, Naruto, and Nanami. If you don't have anything to do you can most certainly find a quiet game. You know that Hisashi wanted to play and you didn't let him. So either find something everyone can play or you can do something productive like seal work or help clean. Yamyam, You are taking a nap after your bath. And Tadashi you too. Since no one knows how to behave! Yukio, well you haven't really been doing anything wrong so I can't scold you. So Ryuu fill up the big bath and everyone take a shower. Kaida has been trying to sleep and I have told you all multiple times to quiet down. So hurry up and go." I say with a firm nod and they hurried off to the bathroom.

Since it was a temple we did have a large bathroom and a few smaller ones, they were set up more like a public bath and had a few small tubs 2-5 people could fit but the big bathroom had a hot spring style one that could fit at least 15-20 people. We never used it due to the fact that filling it up would take a while but in this case, maybe letting them swim around was the best choice.

I let out a long sigh, This week was going to be long. I wonder how long we would last inside the temple together before they all became frustrated and tore each other to shreds.

I would have gone to the Toshi washi shop and started working on the paper more but at this point it was impossible.

I hadn't realized how much time everyone spent outside until they were stuck inside the temple.

I had grown a few fruit trees and let the oldest go outside and climb them. Sometimes I would see them eating fruits or running around outside the Temple.

They were able to let out a lot of steam that way and when they came back into the house they were calm and able to sit down and study or help out around the house.

Now they were running around in the temple. They were climbing on top of everything. Jumping off everything and just getting everywhere. Not only that they could barely sit still and since the sounds of their loud laughter or screaming echoed it made everything more chaotic.

The younger ones were used to the peace and quiet, So with all of the noise made throughout the day they were stressed and crying loudly. I couldn't even clean because it was dirty again in less than thirty minutes.

And to make things worse since the younger ones were so stressed out they would cling on to me. I hadn't been able to go to the bathroom in peace for the past few days cause they would cry and stick their chubby fingers through the crack beneath the door frame.

And When Tadashi and Hisashi joined them they would just open the door and either sit with me in the bathroom and it just made everything a bit worse.

Nearly a whole week had gone by and I was at my wit's end. How had we been able to stay inside 24/7 before?

Maybe it was because everyone was terrified and now they were older and had come out of their shell a bit more.

It could also have to do with the fact that they usually spent nearly all day outside playing.

Naruto was even joining in on the fun. I think they got so bored that he started to show them how to play pranks and set up traps.

I hadn't known playing ninja could get so wild until I walked in on Ryuu hanging upside down from the ceiling screaming his head off while Fumiko poked him with a stick.

I asked what they had been doing and Karin quickly explained that Ryuu was a bad guy and they were trying to get him to rat out his allies. I simply nodded told them not to leave him hanging for too long and to have him in an upright position so that the blood would not go to his head and make him dizzy, then proceeded to walk out as quickly as I could.

When were we going to get the all-clear? I had already asked one of the Anbu and they were quick to tell me that the Hokage had not confirmed that they had all of the culprits yet.

I let out a loud sigh as I breastfed Kaida. Naruto was also missing a lot of school, I asked for his teacher to send in his work Via Anbu and it had been hard to convince him to sit down and do it.

Everyone's chakra was bubbing and brimming from sitting around the house all day and it was mayhem.

"There, Now Kaida is asleep. Maybe I can get dinner started." I sigh as I close the bedroom door and scurry down the hall.

I stop in my tracks as I heard chanting. " Jump, Jump, jump, jump!"

I did a quick check on the seals and could feel my blood grow cold as I notice almost everyone was in the main chamber.

The place was massive with large beams at the top. It was easily three stories high and there were masks displayed on the wall. It was also where most of the Uzumaki seals and secrets were kept.

I hurry down the hall and rush to see what they were doing. As I entered I looked around noticing that there was nobody in the room, that is before I looked up to see that Hisashi, Karin, Nanami, Kenta, Tadashi, Naruto, and Fumiko had climbed to the top where I had already warned them not to.

"You! What are you doing up there!" I yell as I felt the blood drain from my face.

Tadashi had just jumped from one beam to another and had barely made it. I let out a scream as I notice he was about to fall and I could feel my blood pressure rise.

"Oh my god." I mumble out as I felt my body go numb and everything around me started to go dark. "MAMA!"

I could hear voices around me as I tried to open my eyes.

"D-do you think she is okay?" I could hear some voices say.

"What happened?" I slurred as I looked around to see everyone looking at me concerned.

"Mama, you fell all of a sudden." Fumiko pointed out and it took me a moment to remember what had happened.

"I see, What were you all thinking?! What did I tell you about climbing things? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was ?!?!" I yell as I sat up and reached down to grab my house slipper.

"Wait. Mama, we were just-" I didn't let them respond as I swung and stuck the first leg in my path.

"When I get done with you all, We will see if you are going to continue scaring me like that." I say as swung again striking two of them at the same time and they let out a loud cry.

"Run!" Naruto yelled as he turned and started to run away.

I sneered as I turned and threw the slipper hitting him at the dead center of his back.

He flew forward hitting the ground with a loud thud and was sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh my god, she took down Nii-chan in one strike!"Fumiko yelled as she held her injured leg.

I snorted and grabbed my other slipper and smack Karin who was trying to run away.

"That's it! I've had it with you all, You are all getting your asses beat!"

Surprisingly after beating their behinds for climbing to the top of one of the main chambers they had calmed down significantly.

Also, I hadn't known that they could get my blood pressure so high that it actually caused me to pass out.

Although they were all a crying mess for an average of thirty minutes after the incident I was able to drink some tea peacefully.

I had even made them sit down and study. I was happy knowing that Naruto was studying for this year's final exam. The end of this school year was nearing an end so he had to study a lot.

"I've made dinner, everyone gather round!" I call out as I set the table and brought out the big pot of stew, vegetables, and rice.

"Okay, Ma!" I heard them call out as they all started to gather around the table as I served them dinner. Fumiko seemed to still be sniffling from when I spanked them.

"Here pass the plates while I serve them." I say as I hand a plate to Tadashi who passed it to his left.

"I hungry!" Yukio smiles widely as he sits down beside me.

"That's great to hear darling, here this one is your plate." I grin as I set a small bowl in front of him.

"Itadakimasu!" They all call out once they had their plates and started to eat.

I quickly spoon-fed Yukio and Hayami since they were the youngest two that ate solid foods.

Soon, soon we would be allowed out.

Fourteen days, That's how long we were forced inside the temple.

The morning the Anbu let me know that the Hokage gave the all-clear I was nearly grinning from ear to ear.

"Naruto wake up, you have to go to the academy." I shook him and he grumbled and turned away cuddling against Kenta.

"Naruto, Wake up. You have to go to the academy." I shook him again and he whimpered.

I sighed as I shook him a bit more until he finally woke up.

Once he was up I helped him get dressed and comb his hair. I also made sure he had breakfast and brushed his teeth.

"I made you a bento as well. Make sure you pay close attention to your sensei." I tell him as I pat his head.

"Okay, I will do my best!" He grinned excitedly as he picked up his bento.

"Now hurry up you have twenty minutes to get there so you will have plenty of time." I say as I rushed him out of the house.

I could not help but grin as I went back to the bedroom to take a small nap while everyone else woke up.

After breakfast, I sent everyone outside to play.

I was cleaning the Temple and was humming happily as I watched everyone run around outside happily. Kaida was strapped to my back and both Hayami and Yukio were playing blocks on the porch.

Everyone else was outside playing all sorts of ninja games Naruto showed them.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and grinned widely. There was finally peace and quiet, even Kaida was calm.

I walked out with a few cups and a large jar of lemonade. "Anyone want a cold cup of lemonade?" I yell as I sat down on the porch

"Me!" Kenta yelled as he ran toward us and quickly chugged a cup.

I chuckled at their antics. I didn't even have to worry about snacks since they were picking fruits from the fruit trees.

I had decided that I was going to sell some of the fruits in the market for a few Ryo. I would also promote my seals there.

There were bound to be some ninja there who I could tell about our seal making and we could get people to come here for us to make seals for them.

I was still trying to think about how I was going to sell them. I had to make sure they didn't lie about their rank and have a serial number for each one of them just in case they were misused.

Also, I didn't want higher ranked ninja to buy the seals and sell them or give them to a lower-ranked shinobi. That was an issue I needed to prevent.

So I was busying myself in thinking of ways to prevent that.

Maybe I could set up a sort of card. Like the ones they had in the library where it would keep up with what they bought and have their cleared rank.

Since I was not a Shinobi I could make sure that they sold the card and issued it at the Hokage tower. That way it was official and there would be no falsification of the information on the card.

I grinned as I was coming up with a way to do all of this. Maybe I could even have a catalog style book that could be accessed with the card. And depending on their clearance they would be able to see the seals that they were allowed to purchase and use.

If I could set this up in an acceptable format I could present this to the Hokage. 'Like a businesswoman setting up a powerpoint for their CEO.'

I stopped for a second, What was a CEO? What was a Powerpoint? Where had I heard those words before? I paused for a moment and tried hard to remember.

'Maybe it was a dream or a book I read it from? ' I thought to myself.

'Maybe I just made it up.' I roll my eyes and ignore the thoughts, I always used to daydream like this so maybe it was just that.

"Mama, I am having trouble with my shuriken ninjutsu." Naruto stated as he was picking at his food with his chopstick.

"What do you mean?" I ask and he frowned.

"I just can't get it right, Mizuki-sensei has tried to show me but it isn't working." He stated and sighed.

"What do you think is giving you the problems? The way you throw it or the amount of practice you are getting with it?" I ask and he shrugs.

"When Iruka sensei first taught me I thought it was the amount of practice, but Mizuki Sensei corrected my forms and now I realize that it might be both." He sighed and kind of sunk into his seat dejectedly.

"Is there a place for you to practice here at the temple?" I ask and he shook his head.

"Do you know how a proper practicing field would look like?" I ask and he once again shook his head.

"How about this, we go to the academy and I will draw out the shuriken training ground and replicate it here, so you can practice. And with your academy bookstore card, we can go and buy a few shuriken no Jutsu books and see if we can learn anything from it." I say as I spoon-fed Yukio who was happily eating.

"I know you are not a visual learner, But that is okay. I can help break it down for you. We can even try stimulating some of the examples in a way you can easily understand it." I smile at him.

I was happy that he was coming to me with his problems. It let us have good communication and allows me to help him because he is reaching out to me.

There were three kinds of learning, Visual, auditory and physical. Some learned better with one rather than the other, some had to learn with a mixture of these. I am pretty sure my mother had told me about these because I used it on the kids since they were very little.

But since it had been so long ago I couldn't remember when I had been taught.

"Really? You would help me with it?" He asked and I nodded.

"Of course, that's why I am here. To help teach you and to take care of you. That's my duty as a mother." I chuckle as I grinned.

"So that's a lesson for you all. If you are ever needing help with anything. Let me know and I will see what I can do about helping you. I am your mom, I want to make sure I help you succeed in life no matter what." I say with a firm nod at all of them.

It was finally the weekend. Naruto and I were going to head out to the academy to see the training grounds they had there. I was going to try and replicate a similar training ground back at home.

We had space for it and at the end of the day, nearly everyone would be using it when they were in the academy.

Hisashi had insisted on coming with us and before long we headed out.

I had left Ryuu in charge since he rarely got into fights with anybody. Karin was great but Nanami riled her up too easily.

"Okay, So what exactly are we doing?" Naruto asked as we walked through the main street toward the academy.

"Well, we are going to see the layout of the training grounds in your school. They are more knowledgeable when it comes to training. And although we can get most of the same things they have. It would be no use if we cannot use it to it's fullest potential." I begin to explain.

"For example, I could definitely make some targets for you to work with but if at the end of the day you are striking places incorrectly or training badly then it is no use. So we must first get an idea of what we need and want." I stated and he nodded.

The academy training grounds were opened for students daily from morning till afternoon. But they were usually occupied by the upperclassmen and it was a bit inconvenient sometimes.

Naruto ended up wandering off while I took notes and watched the older kids practice. I couldn't take exact measurements but I could see the positioning of the targets and fighting dummies.

I had been sketching out the training grounds when a voice suddenly startled me.

"May I ask why you are drawing out the layout of the academy?"

I squealed nearly dropping my pencil. "Oh my god, you scared the life out of me." I gasp out clutching my chest.

"I do apologize for that m' am, But I just couldn't help but notice you were drawing the layout of the academy." he stated and I cocked my head slightly.

"Oh, you mean this?" I asked holding up my notebook.

"Well actually, I am looking to, uh, build a training ground for my son back home. You see he is in his third year at the academy. I'm not really a ninja so it's not like I can do much or think of ways to help him improve much." I started off and gestured to the training ground.

"So I figured I'd put some of the things you guys have here, back home. Seeing other students use them also lets me see what they would help him improve on so that's a bonus." I pointed out.

"I was kind of designing our training ground that we would have back at home." I say and he cocked a brow.

"I see, why not place an order for Genin to build you one?" He asked and I looked at him confused.

"I can do that?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, I wasn't aware of that. but it's fine. I can build it, it would be a lot cheaper." I say sheepishly.

"It would just be about 7,000 Ryo minimum." He added and I clutched my chest.

"Minimum?! That's way too much money. I can do it for free." I nod stubbornly.

"Anyway, Are you one of the Chunin Sensei's here?" I ask changing the subject.

"Yes, I teach a fourth-year class." He stated and I nodded.

"May I ask what kind of training you'd suggest for a third-year student? Or what kind of training equipment?" I ask him and he slightly scratches the back of his head.

"Hmm, well target's like those for shuriken practice, It's also good for Kunai target's." He pointed to where a student was throwing Kunai.

"What else?" I ask and he hums. "Make sure he stretches, If he can maintain flexibility it will help with his career. Being able to dodge and move your body around freely can mean life or death in some situations." He stated and I nodded.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"Make sure his hands are calloused, He can't be getting new blisters on the battlefield and he will be able to deal more damage if his hands are calloused." He finished off and I smiled. "Thank you! By the way, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Uzumaki Mizuko." I say extending my hand.

"Nora Tanjiro." He smiled back as he shook my hand.

"Pleasure meeting you and thank you so much for the tips. I know for sure they will help my son out." I say grinning widely.

"No problem, I am guessing you are a civilian?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know much about the Ninja stuff except for Fuinjutsu." I say with a simple shrug as I had an idea.

This was the perfect timing. I could casually mention that I was a seal master. Sure if said wrong it could sound like I was bragging. But at the end of the day when I opened a shop for seal making, I would get more customers since they would know that I existed.

"Fuinjutsu? Like making Scroll and explosive seals?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, I've recently moved here to konoha. We haven't completely settled in yet but I am planning on opening a shop where I can sell my seals. I am civilian but Uzumaki seals are nothing to scoff at." I say with a grin.

"Didn't the Uzumaki seal style become a lost art?" He asked and my grin widened.

"Well I am an Uzumaki and currently the villages highest leveled seal master. There are still some of us who practice that sealing style. " I say as I glanced at both Naruto and Hisashi.

"So how do they vary from normal seals? I've heard of them but I have never seen an Uzumaki seal." He asked and I grunted.

"Those explosive tags you ninja carry around? They have a meter or less radius of explosion and are practically mass printed. They aren't the highest caliber of seals either. My four year old could do better." I scoffed as I remembered Naruto showing me a standard issued explosive tag.

"Uzumaki seals differ because we actually understand how seals work. An average explosive tag has half a meter up to a meter explosion radius. An Uzumaki one can have 0.5 cm up to 50-meter explosive radius and we can even control the angle, force, and temperature of the explosion." I say with a firm nod.

"Same with storage seals, reinforcement seals and any seal we make. What most villages consider seal masters, we consider inexperienced apprentices. But that's fine, especially since we will be offering our services here in Konoha." I grin and he nodded.

"When will you be opening the seal's store? He asked and I smiled.

"Hopefully soon, still have some kinks to iron out. I mean can you imagine selling and inexperienced genin a fifty-meter explosive tag? Yeah, I am sure the Hokage is going to want the high tier things regulated." I say and he nods in agreement.

"Mama, You done yet?" Naruto asked and I glanced over at him and smiled. "That's my oldest. It was nice speaking to you Tanjiro-san But I should get going." I smile and he nods.

"It's fine Mizuko-san. It was a pleasure speaking with you as well." he stated as I bowed and hurried off to where Naruto and Hisashi were standing.

"I have a layout so now we need to go to the library. I am sure we can find some books about your training. And maybe we can find other things as well." I say as I grabbed Hisashi's hand.

It was not long before we arrived at the bookstore.

"C'mon, I have your academy ID so we will be able to get the training supplies." I say as we entered the building.

The place itself had a desk at the entrance and there was an older woman at the counter.

"Hello, I am looking for some Shuriken no jutsu books for my son. May I ask where I can find some?" I ask and she looked up at me.

"I will need to see his student ID and he has to be here so that I can grant you access to that section." She says and I nod handing her the ID.

"He is right here, Naruto greets the lady." I say and he meekly nods.

"Hello." He says shyly and I could see her eyes narrowing.

"Are you sure you are his parent or guardian? We can't allow some random civilians to tag along with academy students to buy books from us.

I couldn't help but frown at the comment. "Well considering, I have complete custody over him, then yes I should be able to accompany him. I am his mother, adoptive yes, but still his mother." I say with an annoyed smile.

She didn't respond and nodded as she handed it back. "That way and do not go above the first floor." She stated and I nodded.

"C'mon, I want to make it back before dinner." I say as we hurried past the woman.

"She was really rude." I mumble as I glance back at her.

"Lets hurry." I say as we walked to where the books. "Now let's see there must be a way they organized this. You start by looking over there and I'll start over here." I say and Naruto nods and hurries off to look for the books we needed.

I quickly began looking through the shelves, I was surprised by some of the content that they had on the shelf. I quietly browsed the shelves and picked out a few books that even I could read. Herbology? why not?

"Mama, I think I found the section for weapons!" Naruto called out. "Be there in a second." I say as I picked up the few books I found and hurried to where Naruto was. Hisashi looked annoyed and bored as he trailed behind me.

I set the books down and we started to look for Shuriken no jutsu. "Here, A theory for Shuriken no jutsu, and Shuriken no Jutsu for dummies. This should work. Oh look there is one for Kunai as well, let's take it too." I say holding it up.

"Mom, you are already buying eight books, with these it will be eleven. Will we have enough money?" Naruto deadpanned and I glanced over and blushed.

"Well, I think they will be very useful for everyone. So it will be a good investment." I say with a smile as I pat his head. Sure it would cost a bit of ryo but that was fine.

I started to pick up the books and handed a few to Hisashi and Naruto so they could help me carry them.

"Are you going to read some of them? Naruto asked and I nodded.

"Of course, we have some interesting topics that I would like to look at."I say as we made it to the front once more.

I placed the books down and the woman gave me an annoyed look.

Naruto slightly hid behind me and looked at the woman with a frown.

I could immediately tell why, being that we were a bit more sensitive to chakra the way she was emitting it was unsettling especially since it was directed at us.

Even Hisashi was a bit uncomfortable. As the woman used Naruto's card to finish out the purchase.

"That would be 395 Ryo." She stated and I nodded as I unsealed my coin purse. I quickly pulled out 400 ryo and handed it to her.

She took it from my hand frowning in annoyance as she handed me my receipt and change.

I quickly scan the receipt and nod as everything was correct on there.

"Your books." She stated as she bagged them and pushed them forward.

"Can we also get my son's ID back?" I ask and her frown deepened.

I was keeping my temper in check as I had noticed she hid it underneath her hand while I was paying.

She sneered and pushed the ID forward. I grabbed it and glared at her.

"Thank you." I say harshly as I took the bags and sealed them away instantly.

"Let's go." I say as we started to walk away

I couldn't help but glare at the woman one last time as we left.

"I don't like her." I say we left the building.

I glanced at Naruto to see him frowning and twidling his fingers.

"What's wrong honey?" I asked him and his frown deepened.

"She was mean to you because of me. She didn't like me so she took it out on you, I'm sorry." He mumbled as he looked down at the ground.

"She is like that because she is a hateful individual. We can't always control the way people around us act. We can either look at it in a negative way or a positive way. Just because she was a bitter old hag doesn't make you accountable for how she acted.S o you keep your head up. She was rude and mean because she wanted to and you have nothing to do with the way she acted." I say as I patted his head gently.

Naruto looked genuinely surprised at my statement and nodded slowly.

"Now let's hurry home. I have to get that training ground built so that you can practice your shuriken no jutsu." I say with a smile and he nodded.

Soon enough the Temple came to view. I could hear loud laughter and Hayami squealing loudly as she ran.

"I thought I told Ryuu to keep everyone inside." I sighed dejectedly as we were still climbing up the stairs to get to the shrine.

Naruto hurried ahead and was trying to see how fast he could climb the long staircase, Hisashi followed him excitedly.

Once Naruto got to the top he paused for a moment, I cocked a brow at his actions.

He looked back and glanced at me before grimacing. Whatever he had seen, I could already tell it was not good.

As I came up beside him I could see why.

Sure everyone was running around. But they were covered in mud from head to toe, Ryuu was holding Kaida and had a mudstain on his shoulder and a bit splattered on his face. He looked vivid and everyone else was running around the yard throwing what looked to be mud balls at each other.

Hayami was clapping her hands while squealing as mudballs were being tossed around. Yukio was tossing some and so was everyone else.

I could only stare in horror. We didn't have a washing machine, I was still having to wash everything by hand and getting those mudstains off would be difficult.

"Hey! What is going on here?!" I yelled loudly. Everyone seemed to stare at me in shock.

"I hope you did not get any of that mud in the clean temple, much less my porch! Ya'll better run down to the river and wash that mud off!" I yelled angrily as I began to reach down for my shoe.

I heard a yelp and they started to scream and run away. I hurried to the porch where Ryuu was fuming in anger.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Karin, Kenta, and Nanami decided to play outside. I told them not to and I couldn't stop them because I was feeding Kaida. They left the door open and everyone got out. I don't know who started it but they started a mudball fight and when I tried to get them to stop Nanami threw a mudball at me and almost hit Kaida, had I not reacted fast enough she would have been hit!" He exclaimed angrily.

I picked up Kaida who was wide awake and looking up at me with her golden hazel eyes.

"It's fine, go take a bath. I'll make sure that they are all in trouble. And to make sure I have the story right. You told them not to go out right?" I ask and he nodded angrily.

"They should have listened to you because I left you in charge. Just go and clean up. Thank you so much for watching your siblings for me." I say kissing the top of his head.

Naruto and Hisashi glanced at each other and winced. "Mama gonna spank them." Hisashi stated and Naruto nodded.

I waited outside for them to come back from the river. They were all soaking wet and had tried to wash off all the dirt.

"Naruto be a dear and take Yuyu And Yamyam-chan inside. Bathe them and dress them in something clean." I say as he quickly grabs Hayami and Yukio's hands and takes them in the temple.

"Fumiko, Karin, Nanami, Tadashi and Kenta. Last time I checked I left Ryuu in charge. You five knew that you were not allowed out." I say with a frown. I had filed them in a single line and was glaring at all of them.

"Not only that but you attack him when he told you to get inside." I add and Karin pipes up. "Nope, I don't want to hear it!" I say holding up a hand.

"You five are in so much trouble that I can't begin to think on how I am going to punish you, So go inside, bathe and get dressed. I want you sitting in the living room waiting for me. I'm going to go find my best slippers and tear your behinds up and you are all washing the laundry tomorrow at the river. And you better believe that you are all grounded for two weeks." I say and they looked down I could feel their chakra and it was obvious they were upset. Of course, I knew that they could feel my chakra as well and knew they were not getting out of this one.

" Hurry inside. Now." I say sternly and they all rushed past me. I frown and sigh. I swear sometimes I wonder if they have any common sense. But one thing is for sure getting the mud out of Hayami's and Tadashi's hair is going to be difficult.

Everyone had a physical coming up. The new school year for the academy was coming up and in order to be able to apply the kids have to take a physical to make sure that they would be able to become ninja.

I had been to the doctor's here for my pregnancy check up to make sure the baby was okay and then to give birth. None of the kids had gone to get a check-up.

From what I had been able to tell the medical field here was more advanced than Kusa's.

From what I heard back in Kusa and other towns Konoha had the best doctors and were leading the medical field by leaps, Suna held the second place in the field of medicine.

Hence I was nervous, there was probably nothing wrong with them but doctors still made me a bit queazy and so did ninja.

"Mama, you're looking a bit green." Ryuu stated and I looked over at him.

"Huh? I am?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, you were making this face." He stated and tried to mimic my facial expression.

I couldn't help but chuckle and roll my eyes. "I'm fine." I smile at him and pull him close to me and kiss his cheek. "I was just thinking about all the dirty diapers I'm going to have to to take out today."I say with a grin and smile.

"Hmm." He narrowed his eyes at me. I could tell he was moving his chakra and see if I was lying. " Okay." He shrugged as he laid down on my lap. I could tell he calmed down alot from the incident earlier.

After the whole ordeal and a good spanking everyone had calmed down.

Yukio and Hayami were to young to understand completely. Tadashi though knew and so did everyone else. I honestly felt like I was going to start growing grey hairs at this rate. They always ended up doing some crazy stunts and when they start training to be ninja they will get harder to control.

I let out another sigh.

Comment who you want Mizuko to end up with (She will have this partner at 18 so she legal!!)

Kakashi

Genma

Anko (You think snake girl aint gunna love her after finding out she is a seal master who might be able to do something about orochimaru's seal ?!?!)

other (Female or male is alright)

I know you all have been waiting for this update!

I have siblings and they inspire me, they remind me that small children can sometimes cause near heartattacks with what they do hahaha.

Thank you so much for reading! I do want to address some of the reviews though

Adrianna: Thank you so much for reading and I know you have been waiting for this, I know it's not much with the whole plot but the after math of Danzo and a few cute moments.

Chaosrin: I know what you mean, But hear me out on why I made Hiruzen this way. Sure he is kind and caring towards Naruto. And let's keep in mind that all of Naruto we see things more in his perspective, from the way the village is run etc. Hiruzen and Naruto have a very strong bond, he is technically like his grandfather figure, he let naruto get away with things that others would have been executed for. Vandalizing the Kage Monument? Stealing the scroll of sealing (even ibiki knew that his brother would be executed when he stole the nindaime's sword and hence faked his brother's death) Can you imagine some random civilian kid doing that? Hiruzen would have walked in furious and placed the fear of God inside of that child. Kage wise he and the tsuchikage have been in office for the longest time. it's a military dictatorship and Naruto has that powerful man as his main ally. And let's be honest Hiruzen is a warrior and politic, he knew damn well what Danzo was doing and went along with it. Sure after a while he put down ground rules and a line and that is why Danzo was removed from office (In this book) in the original series he demanded a disarmament and yet continued to let him kidnap children, Kakashi found tenzo (Yamato) and there is no way Hiruzen did not keep track of the only wood-style user in all of the elemental nations, I suspect he knew that Danzo had him and only removed him because Kakashi was a very valuable shinobi who had a high chance of going rogue and had 14 years of of experience and was a seasoned veteran at 20 because he had been a shinobi nearly as long as he has been alive and is an A-class ninja on his way to be an S Class ninja .

So yes he does sound like he does not care for Mizuko, and to be honest, he really doesn't, Her addition to the village and her safety strengths the village because she is a pack that includes seal masters, two-three kekkei Genkai, Strong bloodlines from Uzuoshio, Senju(Revival) and Kusa (Nanami for example, daughter of a clan head in kusa)

She also secures the growth of the villages jinchuriki (Who he does care for). But that does not mean that it will stay like this forever. Naruto is bound to make sure Hiruzen interacts with all of his siblings and he might come to see them more like Naruto's siblings and therefore a bit like his grandchildren as well.

Mizuko is a very spunky and likable character as well which reminds him a lot of Kushina (Who he probably came to see as family as well) So in that regards, he will be more lenient with her than with other civilians, plus homegirl is going to make sure his shinobi are better equipped with seals so she gains his favor by a lot.

lonewolf1836: Yes Karin's story is very overlooked, her mother was literally killed because they drained her chakra dry and then proceeded to do the same to Karin. This is where I brought out the fact that Mizuko was abused severely in Kusa. Her mother and her did not let it slip they had bloodlines but they were perfect for creating children with a strong chakra system who would be taken away and then forced to join the shinobi ranks.

Yukio00: I answered this is a PM but just so everyone is clear, the reason Mizuko believes herself to be the mother of her siblings is because she was never taught otherwise. Kusa deliberately saw her caring nature as a sign of a good mother. With this she would be able to raise all of her siblings and future children herself. Once Rumi was used up Mizuko would take her place. The goal had been to brainwash her into thinking that kusa was good. Fortunately, Mizuko, although quiet about it, realized the attempts of manipulation that they tried on her. But not completely since she did come to see Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, Nanami, Fumiko and Tadashi as her own. This is where her past does come into play.

At first, she recognized them as her siblings even as Rumi denied them the name Uzumaki, She remembered enough of Psychology that she noticed that at some point in their stay in Kusa, Rumi became a bit unhinged. The constant abuse on Rumi had her acting irrationally and Mizuko realized that going against what her mother said could trigger her if she let her mother know that she knew they were her siblings (There are women who abandon their newborns in the hospital or simply give birth to them and don't claim them right after birthing them, they usually go in the system for adoption). But with Kusa Doctors and Nurses constantly feeding her the idea that they were hers even if she didn't birth them made it so that even she came to believe it, and although deep inside she knows that Karin, ryuu, kenta, nanami, Fumiko and Tadashi are her siblings, her constant denial of reality will not let her accept it and she continues to claim that she is the biological mother. Konoha also realized this.

when the Yamanaka asked her if she was the mother she said yes, he then tried to clarify that he was asking about biological mother, she goes off on a rant on how Rumi was unhinged and violent towards them and she stepped up and took care of them, and that Kusa doctors encouraged this behavior on her. He did not keep pushing the question because he realized that due to the trauma she received she was convinced that her way of thinking was right, a lot of therapy could help redeem this and take her out of denial but he wasn't going to push it and cause her to have a breakdown.

Thor94: Yes We want naruto to be a prodigy, but remember poor boy has to get better from all the neglect first. He also has a lot to catch up on. Hisashi and Tadashi are four years old and already started on their seals. Karin has four years under her belt. He will get better and learn, I am thinking about giving him the chains like his mom since I think his chakra is too corrosive to have healing properties, but maybe like Mizuko, he can use that corrosive nature of his chakra ( nine tail chakra leaking into his chakra network) to cause chakra posion on his enemies the way Mizuko uses hers to heal and to mess with the neurotransmitters on her victims.

His hair will remain blonde, him being different helps Kenta and Yukio feel like they aren't the only oddballs in a family filled with redheads. Kenta even thinks that Naruto is a bit albino (Maybe he is because Uzumaki red hair is a dominant gene) Mizuko knows her family is diverse in skin tones, eye color, hair types, etc and she accepts them all. Naruto being loved and accepted despite his difference in hair color is what we all need. (I even thought of making Naruto ask Mizuko if she could dye his hair red so that he wasn't the only one with blonde hair because he felt left out, This was before I made kenta and yukio albino and was still making the characters. ) But having Naruto b,e so easily accepted by a group of people despite being different is something he has always wanted since he was always an outcast

Also, updates are whenever I can, Mostly once a month since that is what I do with my other books as well since sadly I have college.


	13. Chapter Tweleve: Funds

(Little Mizuko and baby Karin)

Mizuko POV_

I couldn't help but smile happily. It was only midday and I had already managed to get many things done.

My morning had started off a bit usual. I cooked and made sure Naruto had his bento and school things ready, before heading out.

After making sure that everyone would be fed, I headed out to the village with Kaida and although it took a while and a lot of paperwork I managed to get a permit to open a stand in the merchant section of the village.

Although I want to open a seal shop that would not give me any profit at the moment, being that I had to set up an organized system and it had to get approved by the administrative office at the Hokage tower. Not only that I had no idea what the demands in seals were at the moment so it would be hard to get a business running.

But with a fruit and vegetable stand, I could make sure that we had money for any needs that could arise. Sure, I had the money the Hokage gave me for the first seal I made. But the utility bills, health insurance, daily necessities and even food was a bit expensive. Not only that but there are eleven of us!

As a single mom with so many children, it took its toll on my wallet. Even with the stipend, we got from the Uzumaki vault wasn't enough. It's not that the funds were not there because apparently, they were, but the last clan head only gave a certain amount which would be fine for a family of four. The issue was that the current head of the Senju wasn't in the village and was traveling around the five nations and getting in touch with them would be difficult. So, in the end, I had to make ends meet.

Also, the academy admission was not cheap. To add to the expenses the school supplies and apparently the weapons for non-orphans or people who came from a clan were not covered by the village. That is unless I took out a large loan, but the last thing I want is for the kids to have to loan the money from the academy and have to pay them back in the future.

So with this, I was going to make sure I had enough money to cover everyone's expenses.

After getting the permit, I hurried back home and got started with lunch. As always Kaida was being fussy and wanted to stay at my side the whole time. Even Hayami and Yukio got a bit fussy.

The older kids were to busy playing around or doing other things, but it was fine. I could feel their chakra's buzz happily and know they are not in danger.

"Karin, Ryuu can you watch Kaida for me? I have to go work on the training field outside." I say as I stir the pot of green curry. "Again?" Karin asks slightly annoyed.

"You don't have to if you do not want to. Ryuu, could you be a dear." I say looking at him and he huffs and nods.

"I didn't mean it like that mama, I'll help Ryuu watch over Kaida." Karin huffed crossing her arms. I couldn't help but smile at them. "Here, I'll serve lunch and let you eat so you can take care of her later." I say as I pick up the large pot and carry it to the low rising dining table.

"Gather 'round!" I yell out as I hurry to pick up the large pot of rice. "You can leave the pot here on the table, I'll pick it up when I come back. Just make sure to cover it up once you are done." I say as I begin to serve all of the plates. As soon as they set their plates down they begin eating with gusto.

I couldn't help but smile as I settled down in my seat and began breastfeeding Kaida. I was going to feed her, change her diaper and then lay her to sleep. That way she doesn't cause that much trouble.

She was still three months old and although she was moving around a bit more she was not teething yet nor was she eating large amounts of food. I would give her a banana or so, throughout the day to help her learn how to digest food.

I also made sure to keep a close eye on Hayami and Yukio. They were a bit older but still had a bit of difficulty holding their chopsticks and eating correctly. I had to make sure they didn't get too frustrated.

Everyone else was being rowdy, Hisashi was eating quietly while Tadashi moved around in his seat and talked loudly. Karin and Nanami always seemed to be at each other's throats. Kenta was always talking about different things with either Nanami or Fumiko, Even Ryuu had to listen to him ramble on about things. Ryuu, on the other hand, was quieter and reserved and making sure all of the younger kids were okay, while Naruto was in school he was the one to make sure that everyone was okay.

Even while feeding Kaida, I made sure to eat as well. I had to build the training ground and then I would go to the shop and start creating paper. For the past few days, I had been beating the bark into a pulp to make sure I could make it into high-quality paper so that we could make seals.

Due to the constant movement, my arms were sore and to be honest every day I had returned home they had felt as if they were made of jelly. My muscles were trembling and it seemed as if I had no strength. Even though I was in pain I made sure to smile and take care of all of the housework and feed everyone.

To make things worse I had been staying up daily because I was making sure to help Naruto study his Shuriken books and guides we had gotten from the store. Even after he went to bed I stayed up a bit longer to work on my seal studies and my mask studies.

I had many things I wanted to do but it felt as if I had very little time. I wanted to open up a stand in the merchant district, start a seal shop, take care of the kids, study my seals, finish any renovations to the temple, and even finish the shrine I had started to make for my parents, Lady Kushina, and Lady Mito.

But above all of that, I also wanted to spend as much time as possible with the kids. Even if they didn't show it I could tell they wanted me to be at home with them, especially the smaller ones who were used to being near my chakra at all times.

But with my growing list of responsibilities, it was hard to get things done and give them all of the love and attention that they wanted. Even if at night they snuggled around me so much that I could barely stand how hot it got.

"She's asleep, I'll be back later." I say as I fixed my work kimono and headed out to finish those training fields today.

"This is so awesome!" Naruto squealed as he looked around at the training field. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as his chakra swirled happily.

My hands had blistered a bit and I was dead on my feet but in the end, I had managed to get it done. Now I just had to finish the temple and get my stand and shop running. I had already decided that the stand would be opened Monday through Friday in the morning and in the afternoons I would go back home and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons the shop would be opened. That way I had Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to work on the seals and everyone would also be home so they could study their seal work on the weekends.

"Ya like it? Took a bit but I managed to get it right." I say with a bright smile as I take a look around.

"And with the books and all we talked about plus this awesome training grounds, I'll definitely better my shuriken skills, Yatta!" He cheered excitedly as he looked around.

"I'm sure you will, So I better see you out here training, eh. Want the next Hokage to be in his best shape when he graduates the academy." I say patting his head as I looked around and smiled proudly at my hard work.

"Although, soon you'll be sharing it with Kenta, Nanami, Ryuu, and Karin." I say as I glanced down at him. "That's fine. Before you know it we will be out here sparing and getting stronger, believe it ma! " He grinned as he gave me a thumbs up.

"I'll hold you to it, ne." I grinned back and ruffled his hair.

Soon enough I opened the stand. With my seals, I could easily transport the fruits and vegetables to the village. Also, unlike other farmers who imported their merchandise from outside farms, I grew mine inside the village which also helped with their freshness before I knew it I was selling most of my produce.

Everyone stayed at home except for Yukio, Hayami, and Kaida. Since they were younger they tended to not like leaving my side for long periods of time. I was still a bit anxious about letting them roam around the village without their older siblings so I kept them at my side playing with various toys while I managed the stand.

The older kids stayed at home probably causing chaos. But they always cleaned up before I got home so I was a bit unsure of how much mayhem went down at the temple while I was gone and there was no babysitting duty.

This went on for a couple of weeks, Naruto was now getting ready for his finals and I had made various stacks of different quality and sized paper. With the amount I had stocked, I was sure we would have enough for when we did open the shop.

As for my own personal studying, that was done in the night time. I had set up an appointment catalog Hokage to show him the set up I had designed for the seals. I had another month before I could even present him the information so I made sure that my catalog book and the card passes were set for when I had to present the idea to the old kage.

As for the mask that I had been creating for my mother, I was still working on it. According to the temple instructions I had to create various complex seals and design them in a way that would be able to contain the nature chakra being channeled through it that would allow the spirit of the Uzumaki to arise and act as an Uzumaki mask.

It was also a mask that would be a physical representation of her. As for lady Kushina, it was fair that I made one for her too. I even let Naruto watch as I built them.

I smiled as I held up the porcelain mask. "What do you think? This one is for your mother Kushina." I say placing the mask gently in his hands. Naruto's eyes widened as he ran his finger across the smooth surface of the porcelain mask.

"It's beautiful." He muttered I couldn't help but smile as I looked at the mask as well. His mother had been a warrior and swordsman, the mask that represented her traits the best had been the tengu masks.

The mask was a dark red with gold and dark black outlining. The expression on the mask was angry and fierce with a long nose. Swordsmen wore these masks in battle and the reason was that they were associated with demons due to their swordsmanship and fighting prowess.

As for my mother's mask it was a bit different. My mother was a warrior but not in the same sense as Lady Kushina. Mother was a seal master in her own right. She hadn't continued her studies after our capture but she was at least a 12-14 leveled master. Hence her mask was a Oni mask. Maybe if she had been able to she would have been able to use the masks and alike the priests and other seal masters.

Mother's mask was a bright and angry expression gave it a fearful look it had horns that stuck out on the top of the head, I had carefully sculpted the face on the mask. I had also used the lock of hair that I had kept from mother. In a way, her soul would be easier to call upon if needed with this mask.

"You think so?" I asked and Naruto nodded.

"These masks are special, they represent both my mother and Lady Kushina. I have been working on a shrine but now that these two masks are completed we will be able to finish setting it up. Can you help me with that?" I ask and he eagerly nodded.

The rest of the day we fixed and set up the shrine. My fathers' picture, a painting of Lady Mito, and a picture of lady Kushina were placed alongside the masks in the shrine.

At the end of it all I finally lit up an incense stick and we gave them a small prayer.

I sighed as the weekend once again came around. It was hard to get everyone up and ready for their doctors' appointments. They were all getting a general check-up.

"Alright, extra clothes, money, snacks, diapers, baby wipes, baby bottles, and the formula looks like I have everything." I muttered to myself as I went over my mental checklist. There were just so many things that could go wrong and I had to make sure I had everything I needed.

"Everyone ready?!" I called out loudly and could hear them grunt. "All ready mama." Fumiko smiled as she tugged on my kimono. I grinned and patted her head.

"I am!" Kenta was hurrying into the room. "We need to leave now!" I yelled a bit louder and everyone started coming out of the room. "Let's go!" Hisashi grinned as he was ready to leave as well.

"Coming." Nanami yelled out a bit annoyed. "She takes forever." Karin grunted as she put her shoes on and waited for her siblings as well.

"We are leaving!" I yell as Naruto hurried out the room alongside Ryuu. "Ready." They both chorused.

After that, we were all heading out. They all had a doctor's appointment and I had to let the older kids go with their doctors since I could not be with all of them at the same time. Of course with the general information they did ask me about it.

"Lady Uzumaki, May I have a few words with you?" One of the doctors stated as she held a clipboard. "Yes, what can I do for you?" I ask.

"You see we were running some tests on your daughter Karin and it seems she has vision problems. We do recommend she gets glasses and we already have a prescription for her, she would just need to pick the frames." She stated and I nodded.

"What seems to be the issue with her vision?" I asked curiously and she sighed. "Nearsighted, She can see well if things are nearby but the further away the less she can see. It is recommended that she does wear glasses." The doctor told me and I frowned. " Will the insurance cover the glasses?" I ask

The doctor nods, "She can get one pair of glasses per year. According to her insurance policy." They replied and I nodded. "Then it would be best if we go ahead and get the glasses now." I say as I read over the sheet that I had to sign for her. "Can she pick the frames she likes?" I asked and the doctor nodded.

"Yes, she can. I will go ahead and tell the nurse to let her pick some out. We should be able to get it to her before the end of the day. You can come pick it up after 5 pm." They stated and I nodded and thanked him.

It took a while but soon we were all leaving and the kids were chattering loudly, They were telling me about all of the exams they took and what the doctors had told them.

I smiled as I listened to them all. "Mama, can we go out to eat again, Please?" Fumiko asked and everyone just kind of looked at me for a second. I couldn't help but look at all of them, they were looking at me with their puppy eyes and I bit my bottom lip slightly.

I had the funds to take them out to get a snack or maybe enough to go out and eat. But we still didn't have a steady income and eating out would cost a pretty penny.

"Sorry, fu-chan. Mama can't afford to take you all out to eat. But we can get some Dango if you guys want." I say with a sad smile as I notice their smiles drop.

Naruto frowned and looked down. "It's okay mama, Dango is just fine. Besides we love your cooking." He beams as he looked back up and gave me a bright smile. "I guess, but I wanted to eat some barbeque." Kenta grunted as he kicked his feet slightly.

"Maybe next time. Okay?" I say as I ruffled his hair and he nods. "So let's go get that Dango." I say trying to cheer them up.

Yukio was crying loudly as we all walked through the streets. It was testing day and Naruto was taking his finals for this semester and everyone wanted to greet their big brother at the academy.

"He definitely passes. We have been training like crazy!" Ryuu grinned as he carried Hayami who was tired and playing with his braids.

"After this Big brother won't have school for six weeks! That means mama is gonna let us go to the park more." Nanami exclaimed in excitement as she bounced around in her pale green skirt and baby pink top.

"Don't forget we will all be studying seals too. Also, big brother has a lot of catching up to do so mama is gonna make him study like crazy." Fumiko meekly stated as she walked alongside Hisashi who wasn't even paying attention to the conversation.

"Yeah, I had forgotten about that." Karin stated as she sighed. "But we should still be able to go explore the village more. He 's an academy student and can definitely watch over us." Karin added and gave a firm nod.

"Yeah, and Karin is the second oldest and mama trusts her the most with keeping an eye out for us and I can always keep you all in line." Ryuu says as they continue to walk.

"I don't know, I guess as long as your oldest siblings go with you and you all work on your seals diligently I can't make you stay at the temple grounds all day." I sigh as I heard them going on about what they wanted to do throughout the summer vacation.

"But don't think you guys aren't going to start doing chores. You know that tomorrow I'm going to open the fruit stand and that I will be gone most of the morning. You guys will have to help me keep the temple clean." I say with a nod and they groaned. "Hmph, I let you slack off and now you don't even want to help me clean up your messes? The temple is pretty big and I can't work and keep the temple spotless all by myself." I say and they all look at me sheepishly.

"Let's stand over by that tree, there's a lot of shade over there." Kenta points out. I nod and we hurry there and start waiting for naruto. I couldn't help but glance at kenta and yukio. I always worried about their sensitive skin so I made sure they always wore long sleeve shirts and use a lot of sunscreens.

"The bell just rung, do you see big brother?!" Nanami yelled as she looked around at the sea of students coming out of the building.

"Big brother Naruto!" Tadashi yelled as he climbed on the swing to stand up and get a closer look. "Hold your brother, he's gonna fall." I say and Kenta grabs him to hold him steady.

"Can ya sense him?" Fumiko asks as they all looked around. Other kids were greeting their parents and telling them if they passed.

"Mama! Ya'll came!" Naruto ran towards us with a big grin on his face.

"Big brother!" Fumiko ran and gave him a hug, Hisashi following and doing the same. "Big bro!" Yukio squealed as he ran straight towards him and crashed against his legs. "Heya!" Naruto grinned as he ruffled Yukio's hair and gave Fumiko and Hisashi a kiss on the forehead.

"So how did it go?" I ask and he grinned even more. "I passed and I get to stay in the elite class." He stated proudly as he puffed out his chest and held out his overall finals score. "86 That's great honey!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the paper and looked at it.

"Ya! You better believe it!" He grinned as the kids bombarded him with questions about the test.

"I guess we have to celebrate huh." I say with a grin as they all looked at me wide-eyed.

"Mama, might not be able to take you guys out all the time. But on special occasions, we have to make exception ne." I say and they all grinned and cheered as we headed out to eat.

The next day quickly came. I had packed everything the younger three kids would need. I was also leaving instructions on what not to do and who had what chores to do before I returned.

Hayami, Yukio, and Kaida were going to be with me at the stand because then the kids would be able to all play and have fun since Hisashi and tadashi were old enough that they would also play with the big kids. Also, Naruto, Karin, and Ryuu were in charge of Nanami, Fumiko, Kenta, Hisashi and Tadashi and they mostly got along.

I carried the scrolls filled with the merchandise into the village and set up my stall for the day. It was about 7 am and people were already out and buying food for the day.

"Fresh produce, get your vegetables and fruits here! Grown straight from Konoha Soil and freshly picked!" I called out as people walked by.

"How much for the apples and eggplants?" A tall white-haired shinobi asked. "Apples two ryos and eggplant three." I say with a smile as I noticed he wore a face mask. He nods and slouches slightly.

"Five apples and four eggplants, Please." He stated and I nodded as I picked them out for him and bagged them."That would be twenty-two Ryo." I say with a smile and he was quick to hand it over. "Thank you for your business shinobi-san." I smile and he nods as he walks away.

I couldn't help but watch him leave. Shinobi were so odd sometimes, I wonder why he covers his face? Maybe he has a really bad scar. I shake my head and start calling out and tending to the other clients.

By midday, the crowd started to slow down and the hot sun was blazing down on us. I couldn't help but frown as I notice other stands had a roof. I quickly place my hands on the table and start pumping some chakra through it.

While working on the temple my wood-style had gotten a lot better, I easily made a wood roof that would keep the sun off of us and grinned. I noticed that other merchants were staring at me with awe and even other people on the street but I ignored it and continued to call out and sell the fruits and vegetables.

Time seemed to really fly by and soon it was almost three in the afternoon. I had nearly sold out of almost everything so I quickly began to pack up. The kids had been snacking on a few fruits as well but they were getting angsty and I figured it was best to close up and go home for the day. I would count how much I made and see what the profit was.

"Mama!" I turned to see Kenta running towards the stand and everyone else following right behind him. "We wanted to see when you were going home, we're hungry." Nanami says loudly as she placed her hand on her stomach. They all looked sweaty and if I had to guess they had played at the playground all morning. "I am actually done for the day. If ya want you can help me pack up so we can go home quicker." I say as I place a few scrolls down.

"Your kids?" the lady at the stand beside mine asks and I nod. "Yeah, they're all my kids." I say and she grinned.

"Konoha families sure are big, wind tends to keep them a bit small." She laughed and smiled. "But they sure look precious." She grinned and I smiled at her. "Thanks." I say with a smile.

She was an older merchant from the wind country, she sold all kinds of pretty jewelry and was here on a merchant visa. She was going to sell her things here for a few weeks and then head back to traveling to other cities and villages.

"Who's that?" Karin asked as she looked at the lady. "Her name is Sino-san, she's from the wind country." I say as we finished packing the scrolls. "Say bye bye to Sino-san." I tell the smallest two and Yukio grins widely. "Bye-bye in-san" he smiles. "Byeee!" Hayami yells and gives her a toothy grin.

"Aren't they precious, Bye yamyam and yuyu." She laughs as we start to leave. "Imma see what I'll make for late lunch." I say and they all cheer as we hurried back home.

It was the same routine for a while, in the mornings I was selling at the stand, go home, cook, clean and the afternoons were spent getting more fruit and vegetables for the next day ready. At night everyone was studying their seals feverishly.

Naruto was having a bit of an issue with his memorization but was getting better at it, soon he was going to make a sealing scroll to and let me look it over. Tadashi and Hisashi were also going to make their sealing scroll and the three of them were nervous about having me rate their scrolls. The older kids were at different stages too, Karin was working on making chakra suppressors and hair color changing tags.

Everyone was always nervous when it came time for me to judge their seals and I had a strict rule about making seals without supervision. Which was a big Do not even think about it.

As for levels, Karin was a solid six, Ryuu a four, Kenta a four, Nanami three, Fumiko a five, Naruto a two, Hisashi a two and Tadashi a one. While Yukio and Hayami had not started their training yet.

I couldn't help but stare at the giant catalog book I had made. There were Five levels of clearance Genin, seasoned Genin, Chunin, Special Jonin, and Jonin.

There were special orders that would not be included in the catalog book like the seal Uzumaki style, Fuin: divine retribution. That seal was S classed at least and could only be special ordered by the hokage.

I had also made a list of the seals and their descriptions I just needed them to be rated and to get a clearance level for them otherwise I could not finish making the book and the cards to accompany them. The only thing that was needed was for me to present the entire project to the Hokage and thankfully the deadline was approaching.

I had already figured out the pricing as well. Seals that were one-time use like explosion seals would not be as expensive but stasis seals and storage or anything that could be used repeatedly had a higher price. There were also seals that could go on weapons those were a bit pricey as well. As for any maintenance work or special orders price depended on the commission itself.

Anything new created would get sent to the Hokage tower and approved. If the commissioner was not ranked high enough for the seal that they commissioned then I would deny the purchase of the seal.

With this, I was sure that I would be able to open up a shop for the afternoons.

As for the Stand in the merchant district, I would keep it running. If the income was enough I might even hire extra help to keep both businesses running.

Soon enough the day arrived. I woke up early and like always I cooked and made sure to leave Naruto in charge of watching Kaida.

My appointment with the Hokage was at eight and I hurried to make sure I was ready and on time.

The morning was always bustling since there were shinobi heading out for their missions and people doing their morning shopping to get the best items before they sold out.

I was wearing a pink and dark blue plaid kimono, my hair was neatly tied back and I was wearing my geta shoes. I hurried inside and greeted the secretary before being lead to the Hokage office. I couldn't help but become a bit nervous.

If the Hokage turned down the project then all my plans of selling seals were over and I would only have the stand left. Hopefully, that and the stipended would be enough for us if it came to that.

I gently knocked on the door when I heard him say 'come in'

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down one last time before walking in.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama. " I say as I walk in and close the door behind me and bow deeply. "Ah yes, Mizuko. You're here about the seal shop correct?" He asked and I nodded.

"Hai, I set up a system that would help with the sales of the seals and a way for ninja to view it." I say as I stand in front of the Hokage.

"That's great, now since I am not a seal master I cannot study the seals in-depth, as I would like. But I do have Jiraiya here and he will be reviewing the system you created." He stated as a large figure came to view.

The man was tall and buff, his hair was white and a bit wild and untamed. He looked to be a bit older and his chakra was what puzzled me the most.

I had felt serene chakra before, but his seemed to meld with nature itself. It was like a wave of calm and the reserves felt deep. I couldn't help but become starstruck for a moment.

"Jiraiya of the sannin." His voice broke me out of my musing and I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment as I had probably been staring at him in shock. "M-mizuko U-zumaki." I stammer out as I bowed to Jiraiya-san.

He had a serious expression on his face as he returned the greeting. "Alright then, Please proceed to show us what you have." The Hokage stated as he leaned back on his chair.

"R-right." I say as I unsealed the book. "This is the catalog style book. As you can tell it is completely blank." I say I as open the large book. "I have sectioned off most of it, from explosions to restrains, barriers, nullifiers, enhancements, and even different storage types." I say as I show off the different sections.

"The pages are color-coded but there is nothing written here. This is where the cards come to play. I believe it would be in the best interest that the Tower handles the distribution of these since they would know best on who is cleared to see the seals." I say as I pulled out a card labeled genin.

"Genin would be able to view only specific seals, as you can see here some sections are now visible. Of course, I labeled them as Genin seal sample." I say as I showed the catalog to both of them.

"A seasoned genin would be able to also see genin level clearance and a few additional seals. " I say as I used to the seasoned genin card and more sample sections came to view.

"This is the same for all of the cards, Chunin, Special Jonin and Jonin would be able to see more and more. Jonin would be able to see all of the seals in the book. Now for anything higher-ranked well that would not be listed and it will be on special order only with the Hokage's permission. Any commission for a new seal would go through the same clearance check as the all of the other seals, if the person who commissioned it is not ranked high enough for the seal they asked for then the seal will not be sold and would either be placed in the catalog with the appropriate clearance or stashed away in the Uzumaki records." I say as I showed off the function of the seal.

"May I see the seals used to create the cards and book?" Jiraiya asked and I meekly nodded. I placed my hands on both and unlocked the sealing arrays. Jiraiya quietly studied the seals and I couldn't help but feel nervous as he looked at them with what seemed to be a critical eye.

"Interesting, this is beautifully crafted. I have a few questions though, what methods are we using to prevent the reselling of the seals." Jiraiya stated and I pointed at the serial number on the page.

"Each type of seal will have a serial number, this would identify what type of seal it was, But there will be an Identification number. Each card will serve as a receipt for that shinobi. Each seal will have its own Identification number, Let say seal with serial number 8924 and identification number 9484 was found in the possession of Genin and this is a special Jonin seal. With those two numbers, we would be able to trace it back to the Jonin or special jonin that gave it to them. Now depending on the type of seal, you shinobi will decide on the punishment." I say and he nods.

"I see, well I do have to say it is really clever. But I do have a few other concerns. Will the Uzumaki children also be learning how to make high clearance seals. They won't have the rank to use them." Jiraiya stated and I slightly froze. "I planned to let them help me make them, they are budding seal masters." I stammer out.

"Well, what if they illegally distribute some seals?" He asks and I frown. "I don't think that will happen but I will try my best to make sure they don't." I say and he nods.

"I understand that you have recently moved here to konoha, you have barely been here your probational period and you are looking to make business with our shinobi. I must say that it's a bit odd especially with your history with ninja's." He says and I was taken back.

"I- I well. I see no reason to hide my skills and I have to earn a living." I say I couldn't help but feel confused at his questioning, sure I had a bad run-in with Kusa Ninja but I felt safer here.

"But you run a stand in the merchant district and you do get a stipend from the Uzumaki vault." He adds and I look at him incredulously. "It's 1,000 ryo a month, I have to pay the light and water bill and sewage of the temple, I have eleven children, money does not last long. After paying bills I'm left with around 300 Ryo, that will barely feed us for two weeks." I add.

"What about the merchant stand?" He asks. "I recently opened it, I am not sure how much profit we are making with it but I would say it is currently around 2,000-3,000 ryo. That keeps us fed and clothed but as a shinobi clan, we are expected to pay for the academy. That will be five academy tuitions around 2,500 each and the books and equipment. I have to make the income somehow." I exclaim as my mind easily supplied on other more degrading ways to try and make the income.

He gave me a look that as if saying to go on. I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. "If I can't sell the seals then I will just open it as a regular paper store or maybe even my wood-style could come in use." I say as I tried to think of different ways.

"No need, I am sure that cards and punishments will be guidelines made by the higher-ups." Jiraiya stated as he waved his hand.

"Do you have the list of seals that we will be reviewing? "The Hokage asked and I nodded quickly as I unsealed them from my compressed seals. There were about eight medium-sized scrolls filled with descriptions of my seals. I placed them on the Hokage's desk and he waved his hand slightly and Anbu appeared and took it with them.

I stepped back slightly as they startled me. "Anyways besides that, I heard you adopted my godson Naruto." The tall white-haired man stated and I quickly glance at him.

"You know Naruto?" I asked in confusion and he nodded. " I read your file, I don't trust you as much. What are your intentions with him?" He asked and I could not help but get confused. "Well, hopefully, he grows up to be strong and although I am not thrilled that he wants to be a ninja I support his dreams." I say and Jiraiya looks at me incredulously.

"So you just took him in because you felt like it?" He asked and I couldn't help but look at him in confusion.

"He is an Uzumaki, we are kin at blood. How could I stand by and see a Uzumaki child suffer? He's like all of my other children, and as such I see no reason why not to take care of him since he is my own." I say stubbornly.

"Yet you are not his mother, so no, not your own." He stated and I couldn't help but feel outraged. " How dare you! I don't care if I birthed him or not, that boy is as much as my son and flesh and blood as any of his siblings!" I fumed, I could feel my heart rate pick up and my anger flare.

I felt my cheeks flush and tears of anger pool in my eyes at what he had said. "I am just stating the facts, and another thing half of those kids are your siblings, not your children. So one has to wonder where you get the idea that they are your children." He says and I felt my body tremble in anger.

"So what! Who cares if I birthed them all or not. Why would I lower myself to care about such trivial things when they do not matter. Our birth mother is long dead and her ashes scattered in the wind. All that I have ever cared about was their well being, no matter what anyone says deep down, right here I know that I would die for those children, all of them from the youngest to the oldest!" I exclaim in anger. I could feel my chakra whirling inside of me as I glare at the man.

"Is that so? You sure don't seem like it." He responds and I couldn't but want to launch myself at him in rage. That is until I felt him coil his chakra. I couldn't help but calm down. What was I doing?! This was a shinobi!! I couldn't help but feel cold unadulterated fear run down my spine.

I stepped back in fear, tears swelling in my eyes as I looked away from him. "Nothing else to say?" He asked I could feel that he was confused at my sudden change in attitude. I glanced at him and bit the inside of my cheek.

"I have nothing to say, not to the likes of you." I muttered the last part as I looked away.

The man let out a sigh and walked up to me. "Well, I guess you have some spirit in you. I guess I'll leave Naruto in your care then." He stated and glanced back at the Hokage.

"She might not be a ninja but with that attitude, I can tell she'll scare off any civilian who might want to come after the little punk and she'll certainly keep him in line." Jiraiya stated and I turned to him in confusion.

"Wait, what?" I stammer out and he grinned as he finally looked more relaxed and less serious than before.

"Just testing to see if you would let someone say whatever they wanted about my godson. I had to make sure he was in good hands. But of course, he has a beautiful damsel as a mom." He winked at me and I stared at him in shock.

The Hokage laughed. "She's Fifteen Jiraiya." the Hokage smirked and Jiraiya sputtered.

"I'd tell you to call me in two or three years but I am not fit to be a dad so, let's keep this professional." He stated and I couldn't help but stare at him in awe and confusion.

"Um, okay." I say as I looked back to the Hokage. Jiraiya's entire personality had done a 180 and I couldn't help but be a bit confused. He seemed so serious and now he was relaxed and laid back.

"We will go over the seals and decide on the clearance levels. We will also let you put flyers here in the tower and they will sign up here and you can place the clearance seals back at the tower out of view." The Hokage stated and I nodded.

"Also, I want to meet the blonde-haired brat. His mother had asked me to be his Godfather, unfortunately, I am unable to stay in the village for long periods of time."Jiraiya stated and I meekly nodded. "I guess that's fine." I mutter as the Hokage dismissed us.

"So you're hiding from Kusa, right?" Jiraiya asks as I started walking out of the office, I was taking the cards and book with me as I left.

"Well yeah, although they do think we are dead." I say and he hums. "The kids are any of them from any high ranking Jonin or clans?" He asks and I glance at him.

"I think all of the men that fathered them were of some high ranking status. especially Nanami. Her father was clan head and he had been planning on taking her away when she was six." I mutter softly as I glance at him curiously and cautiously.

"So it's best that they stay out of the public eye until they are strong enough to protect themselves. I suggest you make sure they have seals at the temple to keep intruders away." He says and I nod. "I'll keep that in mind." I say not bringing up the past kidnap attempt because I figured if he did not know about it.

"What ranking are you? Are you a jonin?" I ask and he laughs. "I'm one of the three legendary sannin. So like a jonin with more leeway and privileges." He stated as we walked out of the Hokage tower and towards the temple.

"Oh, I had no idea what Sannin meant. I confused when you told me you were one of the three ninja." I say as we walked back to the temple.

"Amazing, last time I saw this place it was in ruins." He stated as he looked at the temple. "The back still needs some work and I have to finish painting but most of it is completed." I say as we approached it. I could hear the screams and laughter from the kids running around in the back yard.

I lead Jiraiya to the temple and inside. The shrine naruto and I had made was at the left of the entrance. "I am home." I bowed slightly as I removed my geta shoes and slipped on some house slippers. "I do apologize I do not have guests slippers. We usually do not get any guests here." I say and glance at him.

He nodded slowly as he walked up and crouched down to look at the shrine. "This is Kushina right?" He asked and I hummed.

"I felt that it was appropriate if I placed Lady Kushina here, Naruto is very happy to know his mother is on our family shrine alongside my mother and father and lady Mito." I say with a firm nod.

"And these masks?" He asked as he pointed to the Oni mask and Tengu mask.

"My mother was a seal master and warrior so she is represented by the Oni mask, Lady Kushina was a Swordsmen and as such her mask would be the Tengu." I say and he nodded as he clasped his hands together and gave a small prayer. I could see the candle flicker slightly and he stood up.

"Naruto should be on the back porch." I say as I lead him through the living room and out of to the back porch. "I'm home!" I call out and Hisashi runs towards me and hugs me tightly. "Mama! You back!" He grinned as he hugged me tightly.

"Finally! I can go play now that you're home!" Naruto gleamed as he was holding baby Kaida. I crouched down and hugged Hisashi back.

"Of course honey, But before you do. I want you to meet Jiraiya-san." I say as I gestured back to him.

Naruto stood up and walked towards us. "Aye, who's the old man?" He asked as he handed me little Kaida. "Naruto mind your manners." I flush as I scold him.

"Sorry mama." he replied as Jiraiya laughed. "It's fine I don't mind. Hmm, It's been a few years since I last saw you kid. Names Jiraiya the toad sage and one of the three legendary Sannin." He stated and Naruto's eyes widened. "So one of the three strongest ninja of the village?" He asked and Jiraiya nodded. "Of course. I came to speak to you. Mizuko, is it fine if I take the little punk out? Need to have a word with him." Jiraiya stated and I looked at him and frowned.

"I guess that is fine. Naruto if anything happens just send a pulse and I'll find you no matter what." I say and he nods. "You got it ma!" He smiles. I sigh as I reach out and pull him close. "Give your mama a kiss before you go out." I say and he blushes as he kisses my cheek. "Okay now run along. remember if you need anything you let mama know." I say and he nods.

"Mama where is big brother going. I wanna go too!" Nanami yelled out as she hurried towards us. Everyone followed suit when they heard Naruto was going out. "Now now he has to talk with Jiraiya-san." I scold as they all rush to the porch.

"But mama!" Kenta groaned.

Aye yo, was that kakashi that we saw at the stand omg lol.

Anyways

Most popular votes are

Kakashi

genma

Gai

Anko

Now, remember they would be a stepdad to 11 children so make your decisions based on that as well. who would best help Mizuko and care for her even with so many kids because she single but she got dem kids too. They need a good dad.

Yes, Jiraiya was an asshole to her because he was testing her out. He takes Hiruzen's word that she ain't bad and not a ninja but he had to make sure she stands up for little Naruto!

Comment please they inspire me to post faster!

Rosymalik


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Fight Club

I can't believe it, someone commented and said I abandon this story... How dare you. I think about this story all day and discuss the fine details with my sister.

My 4 year old brother and 2 year old sister inspire me to write. I was so upset I was moved out of my depression I decided to not update my more popular stories (2 which I am almost done with and have like 50k-100k view on) just to update this book.

Anyway enjoy this chapter Mwhaaa

_

Third Person POV_

Everyone crowded around Karin as she slowly opened the small black case.

"Lemme see." Ryuu grumbled as he crossed his arms and tried to get a closer view.

Karin bit her lip and gently picked up the glasses and placed them gently on her face.

"Wow." Yukio gasped as he looked up at his older sister. "So, how is it?" Mizuko asked nervously and Karin looked around her with an awestruck look. "Everything is so clear. I had no idea." She gasped as she took in her surroundings.

"Can I try them on?" Nanami asked excitedly as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Absolutely not, I heard that it could damage your eyesight if you use glasses you don't need. "Mizuko scolded.

"Everyone listen up, do not grab Karin's glasses. They are very expensive and we are lucky the insurance covered them this time around. Mama will not be able to afford a new pair if those break. Ya heard?" Mizuko stated stubbornly and all of the kids looked at her and sighed.

"Yes, mama." They all chorused. Hayami waddled toward her older sister and stared at her for a moment with a confused look on her face.

Mizuko couldn't help but giggle at the sight of it. She probably recognized her sister's chakra but the glasses were confusing her. "Hiya Yamyam-chan!" Karin grinned as she crouched down to her sister's eye level making her squeal and cry.

"Awe, Yamyam." Mizuko cooed as she scooped up her little toddler and rock her back and forth.

"Hehe, Yamyam's scared of you." Kenta teased and Ryuu snorted. "Don't tease her." He grumbled as he poked Kenta's side. Kenta grunted and frowned as he looked over at his older brother who gave him a stern look. "Party pooper." Kenta grumbled as he scurried away.

"Wow, you look great Karin." Naruto stated with a bright smile as he looked at his younger sister. "Thanks, Nii-san." She smiled back happily as she looked around her.

"Well, now that's over. Back to studying!' Mizuko grinned and everyone groaned loudly.

Naruto POV_

I had lost count on how long it had been since I had moved to the temple. At first, I had a bit of a tough time adjusting to everything that was going on.

It had been a bit overwhelming I was used to mostly being alone and having my personal space. But here that was completely thrown out the window.

We shared a room and nearly all of our clothes. I'm sure I've seen Kenta wearing one of Karin's shirts at one point and some of my old shirts have been passed around quite a bit, even my shorts had been worn by my siblings.

To be honest I didn't mind since I could always wait until laundry day to get the clean shirt I wanted and wear it myself. Also, It was rare for me to be alone nowadays. Sometimes Yukio followed me around, other days I was hanging out with Ryuu or one of the other kids.

And the bathroom? Nobody ever knocked they just walked in and used the other toilets or the sink without even sparing a second glance at me.

It was also fun to look after my younger siblings. When I returned from the academy I was always greeted by the shrine and at least one of my younger siblings.

That wasn't all, mother had me studying Fuinjutsu as well. Unlike the younger kids, I hadn't started to learn when I was younger and I couldn't help but become embarrassed when Fumiko or Karin were better at it than me.

But Mama said that they had a few years of advantage and if I tried hard enough I would quickly catch up, I was at the same level as Hisashi and he was three years old and a complete cry baby, not that I would tell him since he would probably cry if I did. Even Nanami was stuck on level four material and she was five years old.

But now that I was on my academy break I was studying seals even more. Or at least as much as I could. That was the issue, I had to prove I was ready to move to seal level three material.

I looked down at the scroll I had carefully wrapped up. I had to draw out a simple primary level of storage skill and demonstrate I had the main two foundations down.

Tadashi had yet to pass the level one material and I was waiting for mama to finish studying Hisashi's seal.

Worst part, I was waiting outside of one of the main chambers and I was sitting outside the door seiza style. It was quiet, too quiet, I could hear mom speaking in a low gentle voice but everything was muffled.

This was my second test, the first time I just sat in front of her and identified the bases for seals which had been terrifying. Luckily I was able to identify everything and moved up levels.

This time around I would sit in front of her and draw the seal out, not only to show my proficiency in the strokes of my brush, but Karin mentioned something about how writing showed the truth about someone's personality.

To be honest I had no idea if she was bluffing because she was already a level six and the best out of all of us and who knows what kind of scrolls she is allowed to read. Mother even let her and Fumiko draw simple seals without supervision!

Both of them were apparently genius in the art, I had seen some of Fumiko's work, I wasn't sure if it was her sweet and quiet demeanor or how she carefully drew her seals but watching her work diligently was peaceful and relaxing.

Either way, I was determined to get better at the art. But the math and science behind it was so hard and annoying.

"Mama say, your turn." Hisashi stated as he shook my shoulder. I squeaked and jumped slightly. "Thanks, how did yours go?" I asked and he sniffled.

"Mama say I not ready. I gotta practice calligraphy." He muttered as he looked down at his scroll. I could feel my face go pale. "It's 'kay Hisashi-chan. I'm sure that you'll get it down soon." I tried to cheer him up as I engulfed him in a hug.

He sniffled loudly and hugged me back. "Thanks, Nii-san." He muttered as he wiped his tears. I nodded and gulped. It was my turn to get my work judged.

I could feel my chakra buzz nervously inside of me and even Hisashi noticed. "It's okay nii-san." he hummed as he poked my side and I glanced at him and nodded. I knocked on the door and heard mama say that I could go in.

I opened the sliding door and chewed on my lower lip slightly. Mama was wearing a priestess kimono today. Her long red hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she glanced over at me as she poured some tea.

"Sit." She spoke in a gentle voice. I nodded and sat down in front of her as she placed a clean brush in front of me. "Begin."

With that, I unraveled my blank scroll and gently picked up the brush. I checked to see that the brush was not damaged in a way that could hurt my seal work just as I had learned in my many lessons.

I gently grazed my hand over my scroll to get a feel of the material I was going to be working with. It had a cloth-like feel so I knew the amount of ink that I could use and the techniques I would be able to use.

I took a long deep breath to calm my nerves. I could sense mama's chakra, she felt like water and fresh soil, I could feel her steady chakra calmly pulsing as she waited for me to start.

I started to think of how I would draw my seal. I began with the base, making sure to visualize the pattern that I would be drawing. I carefully drew each line, making sure to apply the pressure needed for the seal.

If I focused too much on each part of the seal then I would mess up, I had to think of the bigger picture and keep it in my mind. Balance was the key to a good seal and knowing where to place things. A line out of place could change the entire seal and I had to be completely aware of that.

Before I knew it I felt as if my hand was moving by itself. The room seemed to dim around me as I focused on the pattern, the way the lines interacted with each other, how each command would be interpreted, how the laws of the small dimension would work, how the fails safes would react. As I pulled away I let out a shaky breath.

Before I would have thought the pattern in front of me was a bunch of kanji and Katakana thrown together and not making any sense.

But now I could see how everything interacted together. Everything had a cause and effect, a set of rules they followed, a guideline. As I looked at it I could see where I had been a bit heavy-handed, where I could have done better, on areas which held beautiful detail and how every little tail end of my kanji connected with one another.

I looked up to see mama looking at the seal. She quietly reached over and picked up the scroll gently. She turned it and stared at the characters.

I felt nervous, I could feel butterflies in my stomach as I waited for her response. I tried to see if her expression changed or if her chakra made any movement. I couldn't tell what she was thinking and I was becoming even more nervous. I looked at the seal and grimaced when I saw any shakey kanji or line.

Compared to mama's writing mine was sloppy. Even Karin, Ryuu, Nanami and Fumiko had better writing than me. Kenta's was just as sloppy or even worse with his writing so we were kinda stuck on the same boat.

But then again neither Fumiko or Karin's calligraphy held a candle beside mama's. Compared to her writing even their pretty calligraphy looked a bit sloppy.

"Naruto." Mother spoke gently and I was brought out of my musing. "Yes..." I stammer out as she placed the seal in front of me once more. "Explain your seal, tell me how it works, what the lines, Kanji and Katakana mean and why the placements." She hummed as she picked up her cup of tea and gently blew on it.

I gulped, I could now see what Kenta meant when he had said that the whole test was nervewracking.

I licked my lips and nodded. "This is a basic level 2 storage seal, As you can see by the base it is able to carry up to 15 lbs." I stated as I pointed to the Triangle shaped base of my seal. Mother quietly waited for me to continue, not correcting me or letting me know if I was right. I couldn't help but become more nervous.

"These 0.10 sized lines are the stabilizers, they make sure that the item has a place and not fall over or move around too much. A level area, hence the placement in the lower section of the base. This part here is the stasis section. The kanji were picked due to the ability to preserve most items and are best suited to the three-sided base. The simplicity of it allows for more uses. The katakana and lines here, here and here can be used to prevent any velocity that is too high. Meaning that once unsealed the item stored will not be launched out at high speeds." I continue to explain as I showed each section off.

Mother listened as I explained the purpose of every line and quietly sipped her tea. By the time I was done my face was flushed as I waited patiently for her response.

"You were, heavy-handed in some areas. You're nerves caused for your lines to be shaky, here, here and here. The left side is about 0.04 too much to the left, I would have personally recommended for more precaution seals. There is nothing that prevents the item from getting lost within the dimension or that allows things to be recalled back one at a time." Mother stated in a calm voice as she set her tea down and pointed at the problem areas.

I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment as she easily found the flaws I had not seen before. "But overall, it is a well-made seal and would serve its complete purpose, it does not pose any danger to the user and the mistakes are so small it would be nitpicking. I am... very proud of you. You have made remarkable progress in your seal work. I do expect that you practice your calligraphy and learn to focus on the bigger picture. You can take your scroll with you and I think that you are ready to start the level three studying." She gave me a small smile and I couldn't help the grin on my face.

"Remember seal work is never just about memorization, you must know how everything moves and how it can affect the counterpart symbols. It is a living breathing art. You must always make sure everything is running smoothly together, is that understood?"

I nod eagerly as I gleamed. "Good, go ahead and tell Kenta it's his turn." And with that, I hurried out the room.

"EHH?" I squawked loudly and Ryuu hummed and nodded. "Okay think about it like this, take everything you learned and throw it away. Level three is more like learning rules to the point you restrict yourself." Ryuu stated and Kenta nodded rapidly.

"Why do you think neither of us have been able to pass the fourth level. Level three is all rules, rules and obeying them while Level four is like the alternative and the combinations of different variations." Kenta stated as he was hanging upside down on the jungle gym and showing Tadashi how to do the same.

"It's like a rhythm, a song, but except you have to guess the result and place your intent." Fumiko stated as she swung her feet slightly. "Nah, Rhythm is dead. Level six is like taking all of the rules and tossing them out the window... along with your common sense. Mama says that maybe that's why other seal apprentices never go over level five or six." Karin says as she flips.

"Seals boring, they hard to remember." Tadashi frowned as he hooked his legs on the metal bar and loosely hung upside down. "Mhmm, yeah that does sound more like it. Have you watched mom make a seal? You can see where she follows the rules and then places counter rules ontop and twists the reality of the rules. It's confusing, I can barely keep up with it." Fumiko sighed as she gently lowered herself to an upside-down position.

"What do you think Hisashi?" I ask as I glance over at him. He was climbing onto the jungle gym and shrugged. "It hard, but I can almost say all of the purposes of the seal. Mama says I need more security and protection for the user." He sighed as he glanced over at Tadashi.

"Yeah, only Karin, Fumiko, Kenta and I can help you with this one. And may I remind you how bad Kenta's handwriting is." Ryuu shrugged and Kenta squawked indignantly.

"It's not that bad, mama says it is unique and that if done right I could still be a good seal master." He huffed as he lifted himself upright.

"I can barely read it." Karin snorted and Kenta's face turned red. "Whatever, just because you are the highest level doesn't mean much, Fumiko is only five and she is catching up to you. If you don't watch out she gonna surpass you." Kenta snorted loudly and Fumiko squeaked.

"Kenta-nii don't say it like that. Mama says everyone learns at different paces. Besides Karin-nee is really good at seals." Fumiko stuttered out and I couldn't help but snort.

"You both are talented. You guys might even reach mama's level in a few years." I say and Karin huffed. "I don't think I'll have a breakthrough anytime soon. Last test I failed so bad mama said I wasn't allowed to test for a few months. Apparently, I read and memorized everything but learned absolutely nothing. Mama says it will come with time, but I still don't know what I am doing wrong." Karin whimpered and she slouched down.

We all glanced at each other and grimaced at that comment.

"It's a complicated art. Even mama hasn't had a breakthrough recently. Did ya'll see those scrolls she was studying. Apparently, Lady Mito wrote some of it, the complexity of those seals and the algorithm that was set was ridiculous-" Ryuu stated as he narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked over to the side to where Karin had turned to look. We all quieted down as we all turned to see a few kids running by us.

"I thought someone was eavesdropping for a second." Nanami huffed placing a hand on her chest and let out a sigh.

"Let's discuss the rest at home." I huffed as I looked around, I didn't feel any chakra signatures. Karin and Hisashi were the most sensitive to chakra and they didn't seem to feel any other chakra's

"Let play Ninja." Hisashi stated as he tugged on my shirt.

"Yeah, let's just go ahead and play." Ryuu stated as he hopped off. "I want to be an enemy ninja."

Mizuko POV_

"Thank you for your purchase." I say as I gave a short bow and smiled kindly. The man smiled and bowed slightly as well as he took the bag of produce. I could see the slight blush on his cheeks but easily ignored it.

I was selling more now than before, shinobi usually liked to buy my fruits because I had everything even if it was out of season. Not only that but everything was kept fresh with my seals and the stasis seals on the stand.

Yukio was fast asleep on the bench, Hayami was playing with a few dolls and Kaida was on a small crib I had built her, she was also fast asleep for her afternoon nap.

"Come get your fresh vegetables!" I called out as another customer quickly picked some produce and paid for it, I made sure to write down the purchase so that I could have a record and know how much money I made and how much I sold.

As always I spent my day calling out to the crowd and bagging the fruits and vegetables.

"What would you like to get today?" I asked as a middle-aged lady came to my stand.

"What would you like to get today?" She mimicked back as she glared at me and I was slightly taken back. "Don't think you're fooling anyone, you hussy!" She snapped and I was stunned into silence.

"Excuse me?" I stammer out trying to find out what the hell the woman was talking about. The woman narrowed her eyes at me and scoffed.

"I know about women like you, seducing married men. Well, let me tell you something you little red-haired floozie, I know exactly what you are doing so don't play dumb with me." The older woman snarled loudly and a crowd was slowly starting to gather around us.

"Actually, I don't have the slightest idea of what you are talking about." I retorted as I glared back at her. The woman scoffed loudly, "Yeah right, I saw you. You were all over my husband. I saw the whole thing, I noticed he was acting a bit weird and then I find him coming to see you nearly every day. Don't think of me as naive! I wasn't born yesterday girl." The woman snarled and I frowned.

"Look, I have no idea who your husband is and I could honestly care less. I don't have any kind of lover, so fuck off you old hag." I snapped back as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Who are you calling hag?! " The woman snapped back and I snarled. "You! Now leave me alone, I don't know who your husband is and I am most certainly not flirting with him."

"Not flirting? I saw you! You were practically all over him and acting all coy and cutesy. You were ogling him as well. You've been doing so for weeks!" She yelled back angrily, her face became red as she started to yell.

I was becoming annoyed with her and her false accusations. I just wanted her away from me. "Whatever, As I said I don't want your man." I waved her off and she let out a stream of curses. By now people were whispering and most people were watching. My face flushed in embarrassment.

"Look I don't know your husband. I am just selling fruits and vegetables." I snap back in annoyance.

"Listen here you damn hussie, you stay away from my husband. Just because you can't keep a husband does not mean that you can take someone else's! You young women have no self-respect!" The woman began ranting ignoring everything I had said.

"Well, if your husband has wandering eyes don't go around blaming everyone else. I wouldn't blame him either if he deals with you on the daily it's a surprise he even decides to come back home." I snap at her and glared at her. By now I was annoyed at her condescending attitude.

This dumb hag seemed to really think I was trying to steal her husband but I hadn't flirted with anyone and there were a few men who had asked me out but I had rejected them.

"Why you little-! Listen here you good for nothing harlot! I won't let you sit here and insult me when all I am doing is telling you to stay away from husband. He's happily married! We don't need some single mother coming in trying to break our home apart! He doesn't want you! Who would want a tramp who has a kid with every man she meets!" The lady yelled and I glared at her.

"Look here! I don't care what you say 'bout me, but you keep my kids out of it! Also if I wanted your husband you would fucking know. Because he wouldn't be your man he'd be my man, third of all, I don't want your crusty ass man!" I snapped back.

"See you are admitting it ya floozie! You have been trying to take my man!" The woman yelled and I snarled. Why the hell did she think I want her man, who the fuck was she?!

I tried to take a deep breath and calm down. "Get the hell out of my face I don't have time for stupid people."

"Don't you yell at me! Listen here, nobody here likes you, we are well aware of your type!" She started to rant when I heard someone snort and interrupt her.

"Mama you gonna let that old hag talk to you like that?" Kenta asked as he wrinkled his nose. I could feel myself relax as I noticed the kids had arrived.

"Damn disrespectful brat." The woman snarled as she glared at Kenta and roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and hit him. I watched as her hand hit him across the face.

I froze as I saw this, I could feel my chakra bubble inside me. My breathing felt uneven, I felt as if my body was trembling as I saw his small body thrown back. Everything moved in slow motion as both Naruto and Ryuu stepped forward to protect their little brother. My vision blurred as I stared at the scene in front of me. I could barely hear the yell I let out as I slung my body forward.

I could feel my pulse as I jumped over my stall. Everything seemed to darken for a second.

Third-person POV

Mizuko had easily jumped over the stand her eyes set on the woman who had hit one of her youngest sons.

The woman barely had a chance to react as she was yanked back and hit across the face by a fist. The woman let out a loud shrill as Mizuko proceeded to hit her .

"How DARE you hit my BABY! " she yelled,an ominous chakra escaped her as her hair rose up giving her a demon-like appearance. Mizuko grabbed the woman by her hair, her fingers entwining themselves in the dark brown hair. She yanked her around roughly as she began punching her and dragging her around on the market's dirt road.

"Hey! Break it up!" A ninja quickly grabbed Mizuko from behind. It was like her anger increased by three-fold. Her grip on the woman's hair tightened and she yanked the woman's head side to side violently. Since she was being held back her free arm couldn't reach the woman anymore.

That didn't stop her from attacking she made sure to kick and dig her heel on the woman's face and chest. The lady was screaming at this point begging for someone to help her.

"Bitch, I'll fuck you up for touching my baby! Don't think I am done with you yet!" Mizuko screamed angrily as she tried to yank herself free but the ninja was not budging.

Mizuko screamed and yelled angrily. "Get the fuck OFF!" She yelled as the man pried her hand off the woman's hair. The second he got her a bit away from the woman Mizuko was quick to turn around and sock the man across the face nearly breaking his nose, making him lose his hold on her.

She didn't waste a second to curl on herself to make herself heavier and try to get to the woman again. The lady screamed as she watched Mizuko free herself from the Jonin's hold. "You're fucking dead!!"

The ninja was quick to recover and grab Mizuko and hold her back. By then Mizuko was not only furious but annoyed that she was being held back. She turned to the man and crouched down steadying herself and grabbed him from below the waist and in one smooth motion, she lifted him up and with all of her strength and body-slammed the Ninja on the floor.

With the ninja out of her way, she turned her demonic gaze towards the crying woman as she was trying to get up to run away.

"You! You hit my son! How dare you lay your filthy hands on my little snowflake!" Mizuko snarled.

"Demon! No wonder! You are a demon just like that boy." the woman screamed as she glanced over at Naruto. That was the final straw as Mizuko saw Naruto's face twitch and tears gather in his eyes.

"You... two of my sons... You're dead!" Mizuko yelled somehow angrier than she had been before. Her chakra flared as she launched herself towards the woman as she beat the shit outta her. By then the other ninja in the crowd jumped in but even they could feel the amount of chakra Mizuko had. They had thought her to be a ninja because of how easily she was able to move it and how she was able to make her chakra flare with killer intent.

They were trying to hold her back but it had gotten to the point that it was taking them a bit to hold her down since she was so angry that the adrenaline in her body was letting her shrug them off.

"Mom! Calm down!" Ryuu called out as he was crouched down beside Kenta making sure his brother was okay.

"Yeah! Mama, you need to calm down!" Naruto called out worriedly as she lifted the closest ninja and tossed him over her shoulder. The other woman was now crying loudly and sat in a puddle of her own pee.

Mizuko let out another string of cuss words. She was seeing red and was furiously trying to get to the lady that was a sobbing mess.

Ryuu and Naruto grimaced as they glanced at each other. "She's so mad she isn't thinking... Ain't she." Naruto grimaced and Ryuu nodded. "How are we gonna stop her?" Karin asked as she looked over at both of them. They were the ones who usually kept the peace so everyone was looking at them for guidance.

The two boys glanced at each other and nodded. They both ran forward and stood between Mizuko and the crying woman. "Mama you need to calm down!" Naruto yelled loudly.

Mizuko tossed another ninja before she noticed her oldest sons in front of her.

She froze for a moment as she noticed them. The Jonin who she had initially body slammed quickly took advantage of her hesitation to put both of her hands behind her back and put her in an arm lock.

"Naruto? Ryuu? Ouch! That hurts!" Mizuko squealed as she was being held down. "You are under arrest for assault and battery!" The jonin hissed and let out an annoyed grunt.

"Genma-san do you have her?"One of the chunin asked and Genma nodded. "Yeah." he grunted in annoyance as his nose and cheek hurt.

"Kenta! Baby are you okay?!" Mizuko ignored the ninja pinning her down as she turned to her son who gave her a thumbs up.

"Damn it, woman." Genma grunted as she tried to break free again but this time she wasn't able to do so.

"You are going in for questioning." Genma stated and Mizuko paled.

"What did I do?" Mizuko asked confused, sure she might have hit the woman. But it wasn't that bad... right?

"What did you do? You just slung a couple of chunin around and beat up a civilian!" He exclaimed and she flushed. "Small price to pay for hitting my Nii-chan. You show them not to mess with you, mama!" Nanami yelled angrily.

Naruto let out a relieved sigh when Mizuko calmed down. "Naruto, could you watch your siblings? Karin close up the shop, Ryuu watch Kaida." Mizuko quickly called out as she was hoisted up and was being led away by the Jonin.

"Hey! Give us our mama!" Nanami yelled angrily as she tried to follow behind them.

Mizuko POV

I sat in front of the jonin. I was busy fiddling with the hem of my kimono sleeves as he let out a long sigh. "So let me see if I have your side of the story straight, A random woman came up to you and began screaming at you about sleeping around with her husband. You tried to explain to her multiple times that you weren't and didn't even know who her husband was. After an improvised screaming match, your children arrived and your six-year-old son called her an old hag and she proceeded to attack him. You then basically blacked out and can't remember much of what happened. Is that right?" He asked and I nodded.

"Alright, I am going to need your first and last name." He sighed. "Mizuko Uzumaki... Senju Uzumaki." I corrected myself as he wrote down my name. I grimaced slightly as I noticed the giant bruise I had left on his face.

Today was just not my day. I had finally lost my temper on someone which resulted in my arrest. I punched a cute guy in the face who also happens to be a ninja and the one leading the investigation because he is a high ranking ninja. I couldn't help sighing and slightly curling in on myself.

"Alright, and I'm going to need your N.I.D number." He stated and I looked at him in confusion. "N.I.D?" I repeated to him and he frowned.

"Yes, I will be needing your N.I.D number so we can file this." He replied as he moved the sebon in his mouth slightly.

"I don't think I have one." I replied and he let out a small scoff. "So refusing to give out your N.I.D then." He began writing again and I paled. Was I gonna get in trouble for not giving out the number he asked for? "Wait!" I stammer out and he looked up at me with an uninterested look.

"So you are going to cooperate now?" He asked and I bit my lower lip. "I might have it, but I am not sure what N.I.D means." I stutter out in embarrassment.

"Your Ninja Identification number." He stated and I couldn't help but cock my brow in confusion. "But I am not a ninja, so why would I have that?" I say as I wrinkled my nose slightly.

"Wait, You what?" He looked at me confused and I placed my hand on my chest as I pointed at myself.

"I'm a civilian to the boot. I am not a ninja."I say. "So an academy drop out?" He asked and I shook my head. "I have never been to the Academy. I don't think that I've ever even trained to hold a kunai right. Besides I was homeschooled, well at least for the most part." I say and he looks at me incredulously.

"But you can use your chakra." he pointed out and I nodded. "Yeah, my parents were ninja so I was taught how to mold my chakra but other than that I've never trained before. I think this is the first time I have ever even fought somebody." I point out and he stares at me for a moment.

"So you are telling me, that you have never had ninja training. Like ever."

"That's exactly what I am saying. I recently moved to this village, I was raised as a civilian." I say and he shakes his head slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"So you are telling me that you were just throwing seasoned chunin left and right with no previous training." He stated and I couldn't help but blush.

"I guess." I say bashfully as I looked down. "How long have you been here in konoha?" He asked and I scrunched my nose up as I tried to count the months.

"Less than half a year." I say with a nod and he looks down at the paperwork and stands up. "I'll be right back." He says as he stands up and leaves the room.

I let myself sink into the chair after he leaves. "I fucked up." I mumble as I thought back to what had happened today.

A few minutes passed before the ninja came back. "Alright, so I would like to inform you that I checked and there is a fine for assault and battery, it's 1,500 Ryo. But due to the fact that there were eye witnesses and even ninja eyewitnesses who can testify that the other woman was the first to attack and that you are from a shinobi clan and protected a child from your clan. You will not be fined." He stated and I could feel myself calm down.

"Wait so I am not going to get fined?" I ask and he nodded. I couldn't help the sigh of relief as I sunk down in my chair. "But I would recommend you not to lose your temper again." he sighed as he glanced at me.

"I will do my best." I say with a nod and he sighs as he looks back at his clipboard. "Uh, I didn't get your name. What was it again?" I say meekly as he looks back at me. "Genma Shiranui." He says and I nod.

"Well, Genma-san I-" I trailed off as I stood up and bowed. "I do apologize for punching you in the face, and uh body slamming you. I do realize that you were only doing your job in trying to break up the fight." I say and he coughed and lightly rubbed the back of his head.

"It's fine. It's just a small bruise." He tried to wave it off and I could not help but frown slightly, it was pretty big and swollen and he looked a bit embarrassed from the looks of it.

"You know I had thought you were a kunoichi at first." He stated as he glanced over at me and my face flushed. "Since you were able to use your chakra and all. But it's fine, I can handle getting hit." He stated as he looked away. I frowned even more but nodded. "I know you ninja are probably used to getting hurt and all but I really am sorry." I say as I looked at his face and he sighed.

"Don't worry you're pretty little head about it, I'll be fine." He says as he waves it off and I couldn't help the scarlet blush on my cheeks and nod.

"These are your release papers." He stated as he handed them over to me. "Thank you." I say as I take them.

He then gestured me to follow him. I trailed behind him as he led me out of the tower. I couldn't help but look up at him.

'He is actually quite handsome even with that large bruise on his face. He is definitely taller than me, about 5-6 inches taller.' I couldn't help but let my eyes trail over his broad shoulders and down his back. 'Man... village hidden in the leaves more like men hidden in the sexy. Most of the male ninja I have already met are too good looking for my health. What's with me and checking out the ninja who are escorting me... and why were most of them single?! Damn! So he's so fine '

"Mizuko-san?" I was snapped out of my thoughts as Genma turned to look at me. "I asked if you were pulsing your chakra?" He asked a bit confused because I hadn't responded and my cheeks instantly flushed a bright red when I realized I had unconsciously started to pulse my chakra. "I uh... It was an accident." I stammer out as I realized he had probably asked but I had been too caught up in my thoughts and ogling him to realize.

He cocked a brow and gave me a confused look and my cheeks felt hotter by the second. "Sorry." I squeaked out, 'kami! I wish the earth would just swallow me whole right now' and he smirked slightly and turned around.

'What if he realized I was checking him out?! Dear Kami please strike me with lightning or let me crawl in a hole!!! ' I screamed internally as he led me down the hallway to where I would be released.

We were at the front now and he turned to look at me. "You are going to receive a notice letting you know of the verdict of the case. So please be expecting that." He stated and I nodded. "Thank you, Genma-san." I stammered out and bowed to him one last time. "It's fine. But I would also like to say, I appreciate the compliment from earlier. But I am not allowed to flirt back when I am on duty. Also do try to stay out of trouble Mizuko-san." He smirked slightly and I went stiff for a second as I could feel my face heat up as he said goodbye and walked away.

I stood up straight and watched him walk away casually with his hands in his pocket and the sebon in his mouth. "Did I say that out loud?" I stammer out as I could feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment. I am an idiot.

I did the walk of shame back home. Who would have thought that I would mumble something so embarrassing.

As I arrived at the temple I opened the door. "I'm home!" I yelled loudly and I could hear small footsteps coming my way. "Mama!" I was tackled and I let out a chuckle. "There, there no need to worry I'm back." I say as I patted the head closest to me.

"Mama, Naruto-nii's godfather came. he's in the kitchen waiting for you." Fumiko stated and I cocked a brow. "Jiraiya-sama is here?" I asked and she nodded. "Gimme a second, let me take off my shoes." I say as they all pulled away and let me remove my geta shoes. I could see that Jiraiya's shoes were at the doorway as well.

"Jiraiya-sama?" I asked as I was led to the dining room. "Heard you got into some trouble." He stated as he sat at the low rise table. Naruto was sitting beside him while bouncing Kaida in his arms.

"Mama, Pervy sage came. Said he wanted to talk to you." Naruto stated and I nodded absentmindedly. "Sure, uh can I offer you anything to drink? I ask and he nodded. "Tea is fine." He stated and I glanced over at Ryuu who nodded and hurried to put some water in the tea kettle. I glance at Naruto, "Honey, remember to mind your manners." I scolded him and his cheeks flushed

"Heard you got into a fight by the Market." he stated and I frowned and nodded. "Yeah, some crazy old lady was claiming I was trying to steal her husband and wanted to fight with me about it." I grunted in annoyance as I called Kenta over.

I frowned as I noticed his slightly bruised cheek.

"And were you trying to take her husband?" He asked and I scoffed. "I don't even know who her husband is." I huff as I tenderly touched Kenta's cheek.

"And then she hit Kenta! I wasn't going to let that slide." I exclaimed as I glared at the bruise on Kenta's pale cheek.

"I heard. They say you dragged her all over the floor and then beat her black and blue. They also said that you punched a few Chunin and a jonin while you were at it." He says and my cheeks flushed as I thought back to Genma overhearing me call him fine.

"Yeah, that happened as well." I mutter as I pull up my kimono sleeve. "Bite down. It will reduce the swelling and pain." I say and Kenta quickly listened as he bit down on my arm.

"Well, other than that. I have reviewed most of the seals. I haven't seen some quality work like that in a long time." Jiraiya stated as he watched Kenta's bruise lighten.

"Really? When do you think that you will finish reviewing them?" I ask and he glanced at me.

"That's one of the main reasons I am here. I would like to ask you to make some samples and let us test them. Also, some further explanation on some of them would be great." He stated and I nodded as Kenta released my arm and I hissed slightly.

"I can do that. I don't open the fruit stand on the weekends. We can test most of them out here at the temple grounds." I say and he nods.

"Guess what Pervy sage." Naruto pipes up. "What is it pipsqueak?" he replies jokingly.

"I am a level three Seal apprentice now." Naruto grinned happily as he blew a raspberry in Kaida's stomach.

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Already?" he asked confused and glanced at me. I couldn't help the proud smile on my face. "He's been studying really hard." I say as I stood up to get the tea kettle which was now whistling loudly.

"I'm surprised, the sealing arts are quite complicated." I heard Jiraiya say and Karin snorted loudly.

"I'm a level six, Old man! So Naruto-nii still has some catching up to do." I could hear Karin gloat as I walked back with the boiling tea kettle.

"You have like Five years more of training than I do!" Naruto huffed loudly. "You shouldn't fight about it. We all learn at different paces." Fumiko called out and Karin snorted.

"Fumiko you are a Fuinjutsu genius too, You level five and you haven't even turned five yet." Karin stated loudly as I placed tea leaves in the kettle.

"Well I'll be, you kids sure know your Fuinjutsu." Jiraiya stated in a slight shock.

"They are just very hard workers. And they can quiz themselves and study together so it makes learning easier." I point out as I started to serve him tea.

"Other ninja study them for years and can barely make it past level two." He points out.

"Well, they aren't Uzumaki." Kenta points out and Nanami snorts. "You have chicken scratch for writing." Nanami points out and Kenta blushes. "Do not!" He yelled back and I sighed.

"Don't tease your brother. Also, all of you need to mind your manners, It's Jiraiya-sama." I say as I placed the tea in front of Jiraiya.

"Hey, Pervy sage you're a strong ninja right?" Ryuu asked and I nearly facepalmed. Did they just not listen?

Jiraiya let out a laugh. "Of course kid. Do you think that the nickname of being one of the three legendary ninja is for show?" He chuckled as he patted Ryuu's head.

"Could you help up train?!" Ryuu asked and Naruto gasped. "Yeah! Help us Pervy sage! Please!." He smiled widely. "Sorry kids, I have my hands full at the moment and I won't be in the village for long." He stated and they all pouted.

"Jiraiya-sama is a busy man. Besides, you guys are starting the academy in two weeks. Your chunin instructors will be teaching you all you need to know." I point out and they pouted.

"Not the same as getting training from a Legendary ninja." Ryuu pouted.

I let out a sigh. This was going to be a long vacation.

I was pretty rushed to write this since I was getting a lot of comments.

I still haven't picked a pairing yet. Also I next chapter the kids will be starting the academy. Comment what your fav part was and what you want to see

Hehehe hi I am @I_LOVE_GAARA-KUN-!!! Rosymalik's younger sister!!!! Pls, go to my account ant check out my story!! 'Tale of 2 jinchuuriki'!!! :D


	15. Chapter Fourteen: First Day

I fucked up!!! I messed up the masks, Kushina's mask is suppose to be a Tengu mask because she is a warrior and Rumi a Oni mask because she is a seal master.

I had made the masks meanings on chapter 5 and went back to reference it but for the life of me I could not find it and remade the meanings on chapter twelve for the Shrine! I will be fixing this error and I do apologize lol

Also I have made a timeline. The main base was Karin being born June 20 which is cannon, Meaning Mizuko was born on September, And I have established birth months and the current month.

Kaida was born in January ( Same time Yukio was kidnapped) Tadashi and Hayami are both born on February. Kenta, Nanami , Fumiko Hisashi and Yukio are born on april. Karin and Ryuu on June. Story is currently at July. And they had made it to konoha around November sometime after Naruto's birthday! So Complete Timeline. We are also going to act as if Mizuko did celebrate everybodies birthdays because I had not done this sooner.

Naruto has only been with his fam for an average of 6 months. Meaning that he went through 3 levels of Uzumaki sealing in that small amount of time.

He has already shown great improvement and we will not continue to see such high speed learning because this is not a mary sue kind of fic. Naruto will learn at a steady pace and he will have his difficulties and will have to get his little hard head in gear to study.

As for Fumiko she is four years old and a bit shy. The reason she is so good at sealing is because she excels in Science and Math. (Like those kids whose favorite subject is math smh) Thats why she is so good at sealing.

Naruto also isn't able to study as diligently as his young non academy siblings because he has to study for the academy, Uzumaki culture (Dancing and singing included), Sealing, chakra control and learn how to use his Kekkei genkai. He will not be able to study sealing as much and sealing is like a language the younger you start the easier it is to learn.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

(Song is vivir la vida by Marc Anthony)

"I am going to laugh, I'm going to dance, Live my life lalala, I am going to laugh, I am going to enjoy, and live my life lalala, Sometimes the rain comes to clean the wounds, sometimes only a raindrop can defeat the drought! And why cry, Why? If a pity hurts, Then forget! And why Suffer, why? If life is like that! You'll have to live it!" Mizuko sang loudly as she played on the drums.

The children around her were singing loudly and trying to keep up with Karin, Ryuu and Kenta who were dancing. Naruto was also among his little siblings trying to get the dance right as his mother sang loudly.

"I'm going to live in the moment, so I can find destiny! I'm going to listen in silence! To find the path and why cry? Why? If a pity hurts! Then forget! And why suffer? Why? If a pity hurts! Then forget! Lalala !" Mizuko sang louder as she grinned.

It had been one of those days where they were all home, it had been Ryuu who asked Mizuko to sing and soon enough the children crowded around her listening to her sing songs from the Uzumaki.

Mizuko grinned as she began singing the next verse."I'm going to laugh, I'm going to dance, Because why cry? Why Suffer? Begin to dream! To smile! I'm going to laugh, I'm going to dance! Feel the dance and enjoy! Because your life is one! I'm going to laugh! I'm going to dance, Live! Follow! Forever my people! Always Forward, don't look back! Onward my people! Because life is one!" She sang loudly as she hit the drum and the kids twirled and sang along.

She sang louder as the kids started to get the beat of the song and they sang loudly as well. Even Kaida was grinning as she laid on a blanket beside Mizuko and chewed on her blanket.

"Live my life Lalala!" Naruto sang out as the music was coming to an end. He had a grin on his face and was trying to mimic Karin who was moving gracefully to the music. His heart was racing and he could feel his blood pumping. He loved hearing the songs of his people.

Somehow the Uzumaki songs seemed to get his blood pumping. Every time Mizuko showed him a new one he did his best to remember the lyrics or tunes. He would find himself humming it for days and it made him happy to have something to call his own.

"Mama! You dance!" Hisashi grinned as he gently tugged on her Kimono. She grinned up at him and left the drum as she stood up. She sang loudly and twirled into a rhythm. Naruto watched in awe as her red hair fluttered in the air.

Her feet fell in practiced steps and her voice rang loud and clear as she sang. Her chakra pulsed and seemed to resonate with their own. Naruto felt his own chakra trying to mimic Mizuko's and he let it as he closed his eyes and felt everyone's chakra move in sync.

It was liberating as if his chakra was always held tightly and finally, the dam broke loose. It was overwhelming and exhilarating, he could feel his breathing quicken as his chakra was unleashed and he began dancing again. Unlike Mizuko who was graceful with her every move, his was a bit sloppy but it didn't matter as he sang his heart out and let his chakra flow.

"Alright Wake up." Mizuko shook the sleeping kids and they all let out loud groans.

"I don't want to go to school." Naruto grumbled loudly. The night before they had danced and sang until it was late at night, now all he wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep off the chakra exhaustion from using so much chakra.

"Up you go, the academy starts in one hour and I want y'all up washed and dressed before 7:30 so you can eat before we all walk there." Mizuko frowned as she was carefully walking through the room and making sure she wasn't stepping on anybody.

Naruto looked over and noticed he was curled up against Kenta, who was trying to hide under the covers and snuggling against his chest. "More sleep." Kenta grumbled as he hid away. Mizuko was currently changing Yukio's diaper and changing his clothes while humming. Yukio was half awake and dozing off as his clothes were being changed.

"Get up." Mizuko shook Karin who was at arm's length and Karin snorted and pulled the cover over her head and ignored her as she fell back asleep. Mizuko grunted and went over to Hayami and changed her diaper as well as she began dressing her for the day.

"This is the last time you brats are staying up late." Mizuko grunted as she stood up and began snatching blankets from the oldest kids. They simply grunted and scooted to the closest body and snuggled against each other as the dozed off.

"Unbelievable!" She half yelled as she reached down and grabbed Karin and Ryuu by their ankles and dragged them off the cluster of futons and left them on the tatami floor. "I said wake up!" She shook them and they both groaned.

Mizuko let out a frustrated sigh as no one was waking up. She took a couple of deep breaths as she began dragging everyone out of bed and down the hall where she was sure she wouldn't wake up the youngest.

"Wake up!" She yelled as she dropped a bucket full of lukewarm water on them and they all jolted up.

Naruto rubbed his eyes when he noticed it was just Ryuu, Kenta, Karin and him soaked with water in the middle of the hall. "How did we get here?" Ryuu asked as he looked up to see an angry Mizuko. " You have ten minutes to get washed and dressed... Run." She glared down at the four of them and they all hurried down the hall to the bathroom.

All of them hurried to wash themselves. "Scrub my back."Karin grunted and Kenta hurried to help her out. "Man, I'm still sleepy!" He yawned loudly as he scrubbed Karin's back.

"We should have gone to bed earlier." Ryuu grunted as Naruto washed his back. "Yeah, but I guess I'm wide awake now." Naruto huffed as he rinsed his brothers back and let him scrub his own back.

"We have to hurry, we have ten minutes to get ready." Karin huffed as she rinsed off and put conditioner in her hair. "Wack, Why can't we start the academy tomorrow." Kenta grumbled as he rinsed himself off.

There was a loud banging on the door. "You have 6 minutes!" With that, they all hurried to finish bathing and were hurrying to get dressed.

They left a pile of their wet underwear where Mizuko could see it and hurried to dry and get dressed.

"Man, I wonder how much we slept in."Naruto grunted as they were dressed and combing their hair and brushing their teeth. "Dunno but best not make mama mad." Karin stated as they all hurried to the kitchen.

The rest of the kids were sitting at the table half awake and waiting for breakfast.

"Man, How are you guys so awake." Nanami groaned as she laid her head down on the table and started to doze off.

"Well we have to be at the academy by Eight so we have to be dressed and ready." Naruto stated as Mizuko started to place plates on the table and everybody began to eat.

Mizuko made sure to make four bento boxes and started to lead everyone out of the temple and towards the academy.

"Since it's your first day I will be walking with you!" She smiled widely as they all followed behind her.

Kenta, Ryuu, and Karin were excited for their first day in school and were asking Naruto all kinds of questions about what they would be doing and learning.

By now everyone was wide awake and chatting loudly. Mizuko was grinning as Naruto let them know that they would eat lunch together and not to worry about anything because he was sure that they would do great.

Once they arrived at the building they gave Mizuko a big hug and were waving goodbye. Nanami was throwing a bit of a tantrum since she wanted to go with them but Mizuko quickly told her no and ignored her as she made a scene.

"Make sure all three of you walk home together later, alright." Mizuko stated and the three of them nodded.

"Yes, Mama!" Kenta grinned as four of them hurried to the academy.

"I'll walk you to your classes. Meet me at lunch okay." Naruto stated and the three smaller Uzumaki nodded eagerly.

Naruto made sure to walk all of them to their respective classes and gave them a hug before they walked in. He was happy, he could feel his chakra brimming inside of him.

Family, having a family made him the happiest. He walked into his classroom with a massive grin on his face.

Naruto hurried to his seat and plopped down with a grin as he waited eagerly for Iruka Sensei to come in. He wanted to practice his dancing when he got home and he was excited to play with his siblings at recess.

"Morning class." Iruka called out and the class greeted him back. Iruka called out roll and started off with his history lesson after going over the syllabus for the year.

"Alright, now I know we covered the Second war last year but the textbooks have been updated very recently." Iruka stated as he began to pass out the year 3 textbooks.

"Now class, who remembers how the second war ended?" Iruka asked and Sakura instantly raised her hand.

"The enemy forces were weakened and Konoha was able to take advantage of their weaknesses and exploited them." She recited and Iruka smiled. "Great job Sakura. Now that information is correct, but recently some more documents of that time period have been brought up and we now have a clearer view of what happened. Please turn to page 245."Iruka instructed and the students listened.

Naruto quickly hurried to do so and smiled as he saw the entry, Uzushiogakure.

"Now, We are going to learn a new term in for this chapter. One clan Village." Iruka wrote down the term on the board.

"As you know all of the Hidden Villages were created by two or more shinobi clans joining together and taking over the nation's ninja needs. They set a price rate and ranking to the missions and take missions from the Daimyo. They are a separate government. A Military Dictatorship to be exact."Iruka explained.

"A one clan village refers to the fact that there was one singular clan that made up the village and in Uzushiogakure's case they were also like the Daimyo of the country meaning they were completely independent." Iruka explained as he wrote down the definition on the board.

"Uzushiogakure's symbol is a swirl like this, you will see that Konoha vests have the symbol on the back." He stated as he turned around to show off the bright red swirl.

"The reason for this was because the First Hokage was married to the first daughter of the Clan Head of the Uzumaki. Meaning that Konoha was their sister village and we were tied to them by marriage. We had a complete treaty and ninja were allowed to change allegiance at will from Konoha to uzushio and from uzushio to Konoha." Iruka explained as he wrote the information.

Naruto smiled as Iruka explained his homeland, Mizuko had already taught him this but he didn't mind Iruka explaining it again.

At that one of the civilian kids raised their hand. "Yes?" Iruka called on them.

"So ninja were traded among the two villages. Weren't they worried about village secrets being stolen?" The kid asked confused.

"Our villages traded secrets. From letting them set up our defenses to giving them staple Konoha techniques we shared a lot with Uzushiogakure. They were an extension of Konoha and we were an extension of Uzushiogakure. The Uzumaki prided themselves of never having a traitor in their ranks and in their history there was never a Nuke ninja. So Konoha trusted them completely." Iruka stated and continued with the lesson.

"Twenty-four years ago at the tail end of the second war Iwa, Kumo and Kiri banded together to destroy Uzushiogakure. Due to recently found Journal entries by the Jonin Rumi Uzumaki, we know the size of the forces and what really happened." Iruka stated.

"Please turn to 246 and look down to the third paragraph. From the last census we were able to get from Uzushio we can see the population was around 24,873 and around 8,993 ninja and the remaining 15,880 civilians. They were once the biggest modern clan. Unlike other villages, they married many lone shinobi and small shinobi clans into them and adapted their cultures into Uzushio so they remained being a one clan village." Iruka stated as they were going over the numbers.

"This means that the people married in took the Uzumaki name and had Uzumaki children."

"Now you can also see that their clan head was the Daimyo of the Island as well, so they were royalty. Now you can see at the bottom of the page we see an excerpt of the Journal of Rumi Uzumaki. Who would like to read it?" Iruka asked and Naruto's hand instantly went up.

Iruka smiled slightly. "Naruto, go ahead."

"The defenses have been raised, we have inscribed sealing arrays to the outskirts of our city and we have stirred the ocean. The whirlpools are raging and it seems like the calm before the storm. All man, woman and child has been armed and we are ready to die. The enemy force seems to be around a million. They are fools, our god the god of death will feast on their flesh and our dead will rise from the graves. We will strike the fear of our clan into their hearts. They will vomit blood at the sight of our clan symbol. We will leave their wives and husbands as widows and even then their nations will rue the day they stepped onto our home. We Uzumaki are stubborn to the core and demand blood for the transgressions against us. Godspeed." Naruto read out loud a small smile on his face as he read the quote from Rumi-obasan's journal.

"Thank you, From this verse, we know a rough estimate of the attacking force. Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa sent about 300,000-400,000 Ninja each. It is speculated that the force would first attack Uzu and then proceed to Konoha. They would use the gained knowledge of the uzumaki clan techniques to destroy konoha. Since Konoha and Uzushio were so close and shared most designs to our security measures they would have been able to conquer Konoha as well." Iruka commented

"Take a look at the picture of the Kunoichi at the bottom left of the page. That is the Bingo book edition 43: page 352. That image is of Rumi Uzumaki. Everything we are able to learn from uzu was because she survived the massacre." Iruka added.

"The Uzumaki clan had also once been known as the long-lived clan because they had massive chakra reserves and multiple Kekkei Genkai. By long-lived, it referred to how long they could live. Some documentation shows that they could live from 100-200 years and the oldest record was a 208-year-old Uzumaki merchant."

"They also were seal masters and it is noted that even their civilians were also very talented in the art of sealing. Who wants to read the next excerpt?" Iruka asked and a few hands went up. A civilian girl was called out and she began to read.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen. We lost all humanity. All I can see is children covered in red, their bright red hair swaying in the wind as they hunt down the enemy. Their grins as their small frail bodies explode and kill all of the transgressors. Our masked priests dancing on the bodies of the evil Kumo ninja as they force my brethrens dismembered bodies up and force the dead to demand revenge. My last memory is of plunging into the ocean. The saltwater surrounding me and darkness. When I awoke The soft beaches of the mainland held me in its arms, the ocean was made of the crimson blood of my brothers and sister and the enemy bodies floating belly side up as their body dries up and rots in the afternoon sun. I have crawled my way through the flesh and blood, return to my home and nothing was left."

"Charred bodies laid waste. Our temple stood strong but nobody remains to care for it. I am gutted and left with nothing but ash. Nothing left as the houses were ransacked. I laugh, I laugh at their loss. We of small humble home made sure that their million died with no gain. I'm sure some escaped and they laugh with me as well. We left them nothing. " The girl read out loud to the class.

"There were no secrets left in our abode. They must be crying the sourest tears and cursing our name to the high heavens, there was nothing here. We took it before they came and we died with it on our flesh. I wish to see their Kages face and spit on their misfortune, They came to our lands with armies and left with empty scrolls and the bodies of their people. Yet they gained nothing, I tell you I laugh at their misfortune, I laugh from the ashes of my people. Death? We have never feared. I have yet to see a dead Uzumaki. The god of death favors us and we do not know eternal rest." The girl finished off her face in a slight grimace.

Some of the class was glancing over at Naruto who was grinning. He agreed with Grandma Rumi, they had no reason to fear death. One day his mama would finish her priestess studies and then they would all follow in her footsteps. Then all of the lost techniques would be brought back.

" As this excerpt states. Kumo Kiri and Iwa won, but at a price. This attack was what weakened them. From what we can gather every citizen of Uzushio that was present fought in the battle from the young children to the elderly." Iruka stated as he began writing on the board.

"We also know that they used explosive suicide seals. Can anybody take a guess about what they are?" Iruka asked and the class was silent. Naruto slowly raised his hand and Iruka called on him.

"The seals that they used were triggered when they died. It would cause a really big explosion that would kill everyone around them." He stated and Iruka nodded.

"That is correct, with these tactics they were able to subdue battalions of the incoming enemy ninja. They were outnumbered 50-1 and to be honest with only 9,000 ninjas to hold them off they defeated all odds. It was supposed to be an easy takeover. Civilians don't count as much even if they made up, up to 16,000 and that is because they lack training." Iruka added as he was writing out the numbers on the board, making sure to round up the numbers so that they could get a clear view of how the battle went on.

"So Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo lost Thousands of soldiers to Uzumaki and made no gains with any of the Uzumaki knowledge that was hidden away. For the longest time, anything regarding the Uzumaki was regarded as a lost technique. Konoha now has it's own portion of the uzumaki clan, they have recently joined and are now one of the noble clans that are here in Konoha." Iruka stated with a nod.

"They weakened three of the nations enough for konoha to deal the final blow. Hopefully, more of the scattered survivors make their way here to konoha now that they have a clan established here." Iruka stated with a nod and all of the students glanced over a bit of Naruto.

"Now let's go over the fine details, who wants to read the next paragraph?"

Once the class was dismissed for lunch Kiba called Naruto's name out. "Hey, Naruto! Was the clan we covered today yours?" He asked and Naruto grinned widely. Some of the students stopped and listened in as well.

"Yeah, that was my clan." He responded as he was putting his things away in his desk.

"That's pretty crazy. You're clan members sound pretty strong!" Kiba stated a bit wide-eyed. "Yeah, my real mom wasn't there when they were attacked because she was here in Konoha being a princess and all. But Grandma Rumi was able to escape them. My mom Mizuko recently came to konoha though." Naruto stated as he picked up his bento box.

"Wait! A princess?!" Ino gasped out as she looked over at Naruto who grinned. "Yeah, she was the youngest daughter of the Daimyo. She had been sent here to become an ambassador for Uzushio. I never met her but I heard she was an amazing shinobi."He gloated, It felt good to say that he had a family. A loving mother at some point, He was proud to be an Uzumaki, proud to have Mizuko as his mom, proud of his family and their history.

"But they're all dead, what use are they if they are dead?" Sasuke stated as he snorted. "So, I have my sisters, brothers and my mom now. Besides, the Uzumaki don't fear death." Naruto snapped back at Sasuke. Sasuke glared at Naruto and walked away. Naruto angrily cussed as he hurried out of the building.

"Big Brother!" Kenta grinned as he ran towards Naruto who ruffled his hair.

"Heya, Wheres Ryuu, and Karin?" He asked and Kenta quickly pointed them out. Naruto grinned and they both hurried to sit with their siblings.

They were chatting loudly as they talked about seals and Naruto told them about his history class.

Karin suddenly turned away and the four of them quieted down knowing that she probably felt someone approaching them. "Hey Naruto." shikamaru smiled lazily as he was walking with Kiba and Choji.

"Hey, what's up. Oh, this is Shikamaru, he's a Nara. Kiba, he's an Inuzuka. And this is Choji, he's an Akimichi." Naruto pointed out his classmates.

Shika gave a lazy wave and Kiba grinned at them and waved. Choji smiled at them as well.

"This is my little sister Karin, Ryuu, and that's Kenta." Naruto pointed out his siblings. "Ya'll are Uzumaki?" Kiba asked and Karin nodded.

"Yup, The four of us are Uzumaki." She smiled as she pointed to herself and her brothers.

"Since when did you get siblings?" Shikamaru asked and Naruto grinned. "They moved to the village bout half a year ago. Ma adopted me and I have been living with them since." He nodded and Kiba chuckled. "No wonder you stopped skipping class." He stated and Naruto chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, Ma is kinda strict and she makes me study a lot but I don't mind." He stated as he scratched the back of his head.

The end of the school day came quickly and the four Uzumaki were making their way to the temple. They chatted loudly about class and Kenta complained about the amount of work they had.

"Wait, We have to see Jiji!" Naruto stopped abruptly and his siblings glanced at him in confusion.

"Jiji? I didn't know we had a grandpa." Ryuu stated as he wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, the Hokage is my Jiji. Since we are family and we already share Rumi obbasan so we can share Jiji too. I always go to his office after my first day of school." Naruto stated.

"Hell yeah, let's go see our Jiji!" Kenta exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know, Mom is always calling him Hokage-sama." Karin stated and Ryuu crossed his arms. "I guess we can, if he is family then he's family." he shrugged and Naruto bumped his shoulder. "That's the spirit Otouto!" Naruto grinned as he began leading them down the street to the Hokage tower.

"Tch, I guess y'all have a point." Karin sighed as she followed her headstrong brothers to the Hokage tower.

Naruto quickly led them through the tower and easily got passed the secretary.

"Jiji!" He yelled as he slammed the door open.

The old man couldn't help but chuckle as his favorite knucklehead stormed into his office. He was a little surprised as he noticed the three kids following right behind Naruto.

"Good afternoon Jiji." Karin smiled brightly as they made their way to his desk.

"Heya Jiji!" Kenta grinned as he put his hands behind his back. "Hi, Jiji." Ryuu smiled and the Hokage glanced at them and gave them a small warm smile.

"See I told you it was fine. Your obbasan is my obbasan and my Jiji is your Jiji! Cause we're family." Naruto grinned as he ruffled his younger siblings' hair.

The old hokage leaned back, although Naruto was teaching his sibling's horrible manners. The boy had adjusted very well with his new family and matured in some aspects. He could already tell that allowing Mizuko to adopt him had been a good gamble.

The old Hokage kept up with Naruto's grades and his well being. The boy had thrived in more than one aspect. He studied more diligently, stopped skipping classes, he even seemed to be having a growth spurt as well. Mentally the boy was striving as well, he didn't have to be a Yamanaka to realize that the boy was happier and cared deeply for his siblings. The arrival of the Uzumaki had been a big boon to the young boy and the village.

"Now, now what brings you four to my office." The old hokage smiled as he looked at the four of them. The younger three slightly flushed and grinned as they looked to their older brother for guidance. "It's the first day of school, I always come here to tell you bout my first day." Naruto smiled and the Hokage chuckled.

Soon enough all four of them were talking animatedly to the Hokage telling him about their day at the academy.

The old man listened and ruffled their hair affectionately. He didn't mind listening to them talk and he found it interesting. When they got excited they would pulse their chakra and tell him everything he supposedly missed.

"You should've seen it old man, Mama can dance all nice and stuff." Naruto nodded rapidly. "He can see'em! Ryuu, Kenta and I know the songs and dances. We can show him!" Karin squealed excitedly as she spun around and the old hokage chuckled. "Maybe one dance." He replied and they all cheered.

They all scrambled to the middle of the floor and began dancing, Naruto was trying to copy and keep up with them singing and showing off the Uzumaki traditional dance. Alike when they were at home their chakra moved in sync and melded together.

The old Hokage sat back lightly smoking his pipe. He had to signal to his anbu to stand down since the children were releasing a lot of chakra as they danced.

Yes, his decision had been right. Who best to raise an Uzumaki than an Uzumaki? Sure he probably gained some new kids who would probably see him as a grandfather figure. Maybe he could even have Konohamaru to play with them. He didn't mind more grandkids, besides they were good kids.

After a while, they left the Hokage tower and hurried back to the temple. It was late in the evening and they probably made Mizuko worry.

"We're home!"Ryuu yelled as he opened the door. They all shuffled into the temple. "We are home." Ryuu repeated and bowed at the shrine when he stopped on his tracks as he saw a picture of Rumi at the shrine.

"Ain't that 'Lady'?" He stammered out and they all stopped and looked over to the shrine. There was a picture of Rumi in her Jonin uniform in the shrine.

"How? She died in Kusa." Karin stammered out as she approached the shrine.

"I saw it in the new academy textbook. Iruka sensei said it was from a bingo book." Naruto pointed out and Karin shuddered and looked away.

"She was helpful, but... she was never too kind." Karin muttered glancing over at the picture hesitantly as she remembered the fear she always had towards Rumi. Karin had always feared the older Uzumaki woman and for good reasons.

The girl shivered slightly as she remembered how cold and uncaring Rumi could be when she was in one of her moods. "Yeah, she was... I don't know how to describe her." Ryuu stated as he began taking his shoes off.

Naruto bowed to the shrine and glanced at his siblings. "I never met her." he stated as he stared at the picture.

She had shoulder-length red hair and her skin was a pale color, her eyes were shaper like Mizuko's but the color was a bright red like Karin and Kenta's, her lips were full and her skin was clear. She wore an Uzu headband and her expression was serious.

"Where have you four been?" Mizuko asked and they all turned to look at her. "We went to see Jiji." Kenta stated and Mizuko looked confused. "Jiji?" She asked and Ryuu nodded.

"The Hokage." He stated and Mizuko's face went pale.

"Tell me you four behaved?" she asked and they all glanced at each other and nodded. "Yeah, and he promised to get us a treat if we did well in class!" Kenta stated.

Mizuko pursed her lips before sighing in defeat. " I guess I can't stop you from calling him Jiji anymore, huh?" They all grinned at her mischievously.

"Come on, I baked you four a cake. To congratulate you for your first day in the academy." She smiled and the four of them cheered and hurried to take their shoes off and get to the dining room.

Mizuko quickly served them some food and they began eating. Naruto was playing with Yukio who was showing him a new toy that Mizuko had made him.

"So what did you do in class today?" Mizuko asked as she sat down with Kaida on her lap and began drinking tea.

"Well we went over our reading, a lot of kids ain't know how to read or write. Sensei went and started teaching them Kanji." Kenta stated as he ate.

"We did a review of last year since I was new. There a lot of civilians in my classes as well. " Karin added as she took a big bite of food.

"My class reviewed last year's history book. They added a section for the Uzumaki." Naruto stated and glanced at Mizuko.

"Well, Mother had a journal. I spoke with the Hokage a while back and let them skim over some of the details on it. I made sure they didn't take anything classified." Mizuko stated as she spoon-fed Kaida some food.

"Was that how you got a picture of Rumi obaasan?" Naruto asked and Mizuko nodded.

"A few ninjas in the archive searched through the older bingo books and found mothers bingo book entry. The picture was gifted very recently and I set it up in the shrine." Mizuko stated as she took a bite of food.

"Oh, anything else happened?" Ryuu asked and Mizuko nodded.

"In a few months the probation process will be completed and we will be official Konoha Citizens. As a shinobi clan, I will be expected to represent y'all until Naruto becomes Chunin or he's old enough to become clan head." Mizuko stated and Naruto froze.

"Clan head?" He asked confused and Mizuko nodded.

"As the son of Kushina-hime and last heir of the main branch of the family. The village expects you to take the place as the leader especially if you have a shinobi career. That doesn't mean you can misbehave though. You could be thirty years old but I'll still spank your behind if you are acting out." Mizuko stated firmly.

"But don't worry about it now. I'll deal with the clan head position and the responsibility the village expects of us. Take your time mama will take care of everything else." She stated and Naruto slowly nodded.

She could see the pensive look on his face and let out a sigh. "You know there are many years before you have to take the clan head position and when you do it will be like practice for when you become Hokage." Mizuko gave him a soft warm smile. The tension seemed to roll off Naruto's shoulders and he smiled a smiled as he looked up at Mizuko.

"Yeah, Naruto-nii gonna be Hokage."Tadashi grinned as he messily chewed on his food; with that, the tension in the room dissipated and they all laughed and continued to talk about their day.

Mizuko left the house early in the morning. She had left Breakfast and lunch ready for the kids to eat. Naruto, Karin, and Ryuu had been left in charge as she went out for the day and she left a list of things they were allowed to do and things they were not allowed to do.

She wore her green kimono with light green butterflies and an orange color obi kimono tie.

She was carrying a large scroll on her back and was heading to one of the training grounds. Jiraiya had asked her to bring samples of the seals she would be selling for further field testing.

She walked through the village with a soft smile greeting some of the other merchants who waved at her. "Morning Mizuko-san." Sino waved from her stand and Mizuko waved at the Suna Merchant that usually set her stall beside hers.

"Morning Sino-san." Mizuko waved as she continued down the street enjoying the peaceful buzz of the morning.

By the time she arrived at the training ground, there were a few dozen ninjas standing around, Jiraiya was standing there as well a serious expression on his face as he overlooked the other ninja. His arms were crossed and he noticed Mizuko as she arrived.

He grinned and waved at her as he started to walk over to her. "Jiraya-sama." Mizuko bowed as she greeted him. "None of that Mizuko-chan." he laughed loudly. Other ninja took notice of her arrival as Jiraiya began leading her to the other ninja.

"Alright, boys. This is the lovely Mizuko-san. She will be providing the seals we will be testing today. I will remind you that she is a civilian and will not be able to get out of blast zones or dodge anything if things go bad so make sure nothing happens to her or we will be having a problem."Jiraiya stated as he patted Mizuko's shoulder.

"Mizuko-chan, these are some of the specialists of the barrier department and the research department." He waved over the ninja who greeted back and introduced themselves.

"Alright, let's get started." Jiraiya called out and Mizuko nodded and removed the scroll from her back.

With one swift motion, she unfurled the scroll completely. The scroll was covered in a massive sealing array with tiny individual seals. "First, let's get the barrier seals set up so we can test their strength and have them up so we can then move on to the explosives." Mizuko stated as she quickly placed a hand on the scroll. "Fuin: Unseal Matrix." She called out unsealing smaller scrolls that contained a few hundreds of the barrier seals each.

"Well, what are you waiting for, start testing." Jiraiya called out and they quickly began working.

They ended up testing the strengths of the barriers towards different elements and attacks. Then they moved on to explosives, they measured the size and destruction the seals left. They even checked to see if the larger explosions could destroy the barriers and the amount it took to break them down.

All of the data was compiled and a few charts were created in order to label each seal. Explosive seals had a Heat and Size chart made while the barrier had a time limit, maximum damage resistance, and area coverage chart made for it.

Other seals like enhancement, paralytic, chakra suppressant, chakra draining, stasis, storage and modified seals were tested and charts were made for them as well. It ended up taking a few sessions to get all of the needed data for them and even then some of the Ninja from the research department were wanting to run more tests on them.

They ran the tests for a couple of weekends and by the time they were done Mizuko was happy to say she had learned more about her seals and found ways to improve the designs of some of her seals.

"Do you think people are really gonna come?" Karin asked as she sat at the steps of the temple.

"I don't know." Fumiko replied as she plopped down beside her older sister. "Hmm, what do you think Yukio?" Karin turned to Yukio who was carefully climbing down the steps. "Play!" He grinned as he pointed out to the backyard.

"There will definitely be customers. Jiji said he placed signs all over the tower." Ryuu stated as he walked out of the temple. Karin turned to look at her brother.

"But what if they get lost? The village is pretty big, ya know." Karin replied as she wrinkled her nose. "Didn't you look at the signs there was an address and even directions on how to get here. Besides, you won't see anyone arrive back here. you have to be at the front of the temple where the shrine and storefront is." Kenta stated as he bit down on a mango.

"Ahhhh."Hayami hummed loudly as she opened her mouth and Kenta carefully let her take a bite off his fruit. "Mmm Yummy." She grinned.

"Mama said we have to stay out the storefront for now. And says y'all gonna get fruit juice on the floor or make a mess." Naruto sighed as he placed a hand on Kenta's head and ruffled his little brother's hair.

"No I won't... well-" Kenta started to protest before glancing at the mango juice running down his fingers and dripping on the floor and then at Hayami whose face was covered in the sticky mango juice.

"Okay, so I get why we aren't allowed up there." Kenta sighed and Ryuu chuckled.

"It's only for the first couple of weeks. Besides, mama is going to need help keeping up making seals." Ryuu stated and Naruto nodded. "Yup, before you know it you won't want anything to do with the seal store." Naruto added as he walked forward and plopped down beside Karin.

"I wanna be with mama." Hisashi groaned as he walked out of the temple sniffling. "Awe Sashi-chan, Here sit with your nee-chan." Karin cooed at her little brother and the smaller boy hurried into his sister's arms. Karin easily picked him up and sat him on her lap.

"*Cough* Crybaby *Cough*" Kenta fake coughed before he was elbowed on the side by Ryuu. " Be nice, no need to be mean to Hisashi-chan." Ryuu scolded as Kenta huffed.

"How'd ya do it?! Kaida is impossible to babysit." Nanami groaned as she walked out of the temple carrying little Kaida who was about eight months olf

"I told you to tie your hair back. But no Karin doesn't know any better. " Karin teased as she glanced at Nanami who glared right back at her.

"I didn't know she was going to be pulling my hair." Nanami pointed out as she tried to unclench Kaida's tiny hand and remove her hair from her tiny fingers.

"Here I'll take her." Ryuu sighed as he took his little sister. "I wonder what kind of ninja are going to be coming." Karin huffed as she looked back out to where Tadashi and Yukio were running around.

"We can always hide nearby and take a look." Kenta pointed out and Naruto snorted. "You know we can't really hide from mom. Let's just wait it out and ask her about it later."

"Yeah, Naruto-nii is right. Anyways don't we have school till Monday." Ryuu stated and shrugged. " So we can do our homework Sunday afternoon. ha, a man of culture. Ryuu you sly dog."Kenta chuckled.

"Well, mama did decide on the time and dates the shop will be opened. Monday through Friday from eight in the morning till two in the afternoon for the fruit stand. Then the seal shop will be opened Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon. The weekend will be the days mom says she will be busy making seals." Naruto told them and they all nodded.

"Makes sense. I wonder if she will let us help her make seals." Nanami stated as she plopped down beside Fumiko.

"Maybe." Fumiko shrugged.

"Thank you for coming." Mizuko stated as she handed the wrapped package to the shinobi.

The shop was full to the brim and many of the shinobi were looking at the catalogs. She had made several copies of the books that way there could be more than one ninja looking over them.

She was busy writing down special orders and selling her premade seals. Many of the ninjas were just there to look and most of her sales were coming from the Chunin and Jonin since they had a better understanding of what the seals could be used for and being that they were ranked higher they had more money to spend on the seals.

"Yes, you must bring the articles of clothing that you want to have reinforced with the seals. I will be opened till 10 only for today since it is opening day. regular hours will be from four till eight and that would only be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays." Mizuko answered to another Jonin.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Mizuko turned to another ninja. "Yes, I am looking for the seal 58033 and 30582. I want twenty of each please." The Jonin stated as he handed her his identification card.

"One moment please." Mizuko stated as she went ahead and turned to the drawers behind her and unsealed the needed cards and easily wrapped them in paper. "Your total is 684 Ryo." She stated as she took the card and scanned the seals and checked the picture on it.

The guy handed her the money and she handed him the ID and seals. "Thank you, Come again." Mizuko smiled as another ninja walked up to the counter.

"Hi, I am looking to get these seals." The Ninja gave her the slip of paper where he had written the numbers.

"Oh, Okay and can I get your ID?" She asked and the man nodded as he handed it over to her.

"Thank you... Yakushi-san." Mizuko smiled as she read the name that was written on the ID.

"Kabuto is fine. Yakushi-san was my mother." The white-haired genin smiled as he fixed his glasses.

"I understand. Here's your order." Mizuko stated as she took the ID and scanned the seals. "Your total is 734 Ryo." She stated as she smiled politely at him.

Oops I missed my usual deadline. I just moved out of my parents' house a few days ago and I didn't know what else to write after the 5,000 wordmark. I went back several times to add more drama. I might edit this later sooo.

I will not abandon this story, I just need time and I have an outside life and it takes days for me to plot out the chapters. so please don't assume I left the story. If I were to ever abandon it I would let you guys know or finish it in an overall summary ( Which would suck and I ain't an asshole to do that.)

Anyway Kabuto what are you doing in the seal shop?! Are you going to snitch to Orochimaru ah ha ha. Unless (Does fuckboy face.)

Anko

Gai

Genma

Kakashi

Iruka

Tenzo

Jiraiya

Those are the names asked for in the comments to be the pairing. I feel Jiraiya is too in love with Tsunade so he's out

Everyone else is fair game though.

rosymalik


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Background

"You were right, I hate having a store." Kenta stated as he pushed his white hair back and glared at the seal he was drawing out.

Ryuu snorted and grinned. "Told ya."

"It was cool at first but all we do is make seals. Sure, we can play but I'm tired of making seals!" Kenta groaned as he gently placed his brush down.

"It's great practice, and it is not like you are making a seal you don't know." Mizuko pipped up and Kenta huffed dramatically.

"Mom, I'm done with my share. Can I go play now?" Karin stated as she put down her brush.

"Go ahead honey, You can play for a bit. When everyone else gets done I will show you a traditional Malestorm dance." Mizuko stated as she glanced over at Karin's finished work.

"Kay!" She smiled and hurried out of the room. Naruto sighed and looked down at the seals he was drawing. They were simple storage seals for heavier supplies.

"I barely got the other dance we learned last week down. I am having trouble with my pivots. Can you help me with them?" Naruto asked and Mizuko glanced at him and nodded.

"We can work on your pivots. Nanami make sure you get the stablizer on that formula." Mizuko nodded towards Naruto and then glanced at Nanami.

"How?!"Nanami huffed as she looked down at her paper. Her long silky straight hair was in a low pony tail and she was wearing a simple light pink tank top.

"Here I'll help you Nee-chan." Fumiko reached over and tugged on the scroll Nanami was working on. "Awe, Thanks fu-chan!" Nanami smiled widely as Fumiko started to finish the seal.

"It's nothing." Fumiko grinned as she finished her sister's seal. "You have to place these lines down, other wise it might be unstable." Fumiko pointed out and Nanami nodded as she looked at the scroll.

"I knew I was missing something!" Nanami's red eyes widened as Fumiko was pointing out what she had forgotten.

"I'll get it right next time." Nanami nodded as she unfurled another scroll and began drawing out the same seal again.

Kenta groaned and sighed. "Seals suck."

Jiraiya opened the door and was greeted by the sight of his sensei smoking his pipe. "Ah Jiraiya, You're here so we can finally begin." The Third Hokage announced as Jiraiya closed the door behind him and crossed his arms.

The councilors were sitting nearby the Old Kage and were quietly waiting for the meeting to start.

Inoichi, Ibiki, and Shikaku all stepped up. Shikaku spoke up first. "As asked all of the information about Mizuko's background was investigated. We have come up with a timeline for most of the major events in her life." He nodded and Ibiki stepped up and handed the councilors and Hokage the files.

"Our first clue was Daiki Senju. A few years back there was an incident within the land of iron. Samurai found a Konoha headband in a burnt down house. The body found a few meters from the house had the head cut off, but city officials belived it to be a paper store owner named Daiki. The villagers were well aware that he was a local store owner with a wife and young daughter. Rumi and Mizuko." Ibiki started off as the Hokage scanned the files that had been placed on his desk. Jiraiya stepped up and started looking at the files as well.

"The remains were investigated and we confirmed his identity. The final confirmation was when his bounty was cashed out. Daiki Senju was removed from the missing in action lists. Also at that point we were aware of Mizuko Senju possibly being alive. What we speculate is that he was killed and the attackers figured that they would take Mizuko for breeding purposes to restart a senju clan in kusa." Ibiki continued.

" Rumi possibly put up a fight and was taken down and kidnapped as well. They possibly figured she was a ninja and that she had a bounty. When Mizuko arrived to konoha she had this on her." Ibiki held up a clear bag with a seal tag inside of it.

"A seal that can change someones haircolor. So it is very possible that the Kusa shinobi found this on both mother and the child while strip searching them after they were captured. At that point they would see the red hair and common Uzumaki traits. A quick look into an older bingo book and they would have been able to find Rumi Uzumaki's page. At that point Rumi was considered more useful alive than dead and allowed to continue to be with her daughter."

"They possibly tried a few methods of brainwashing and a long term conditioning on Mizuko to gain her loyalties. But since the girl was not separated from her mother who was a seasoned Jonin, we can assume Rumi countered most of the conditioning and with Kushina being in Konoha that is where they set their sights."

"From what we gathered we belive that throughout their time there Rumi was violently raped and probably suffered postpartum depression and other mental disorders after having her first child in captivity. Some of Mizuko's conditioning probably never did wear off but it is not something that we can't handle and is of very little consequences." Ibiki stated, as everyone looked through the files.

"So most of her story can be verified?" Koharu asked and Ibiki nodded. "If it was an spy they would have been working on this for over eight years. Most of the information we already knew. Through varies subtle interogations by Yamanaka, chunin and even Jiraiya we were able to fill in most of the blanks and she was unaware we even knew she existed." Ibiki stated and Koharu nodded.

"That leads us to other reports from our informants. We are all aware that Kusa suffered an attack an average of three years ago. This attack was cordinated by Rumi Uzumaki in order to escape. Kusa closed their borders for nearly a whole year and tired to keep the incident contained. It turned out to be a failure but if our information is correct Kusa suffered massive damage to their main structures and shinobi force. This also corilates to Mizuko's first pregnancy to her son Hisashi Senju Uzumaki." He added and there was a picture of the small boy on the file.

"We can assume that there was use of substance, torture, violence and rape done to both Rumi and Mizuko. At the time Rumi died after giving birth, Mizuko was forced to become a breeder. Inoichi will be going into more detail about the mental health. But then the next key player. Akio Okimoto Jonin of Kusagakure." Ibiki stated.

"As you know Kusa is always politically divided into the blue and yellow factions. At the moment blue favors closer ties with Kumo and the yellow faction prefer our alliance with them. Akio was a advocate for the blue faction and a highly respected Jonin. From the circumstances we can assume two different things. He was a Kumo spy that wormed his way in and up Kusa's ranks or he was planning on becoming a missing nin and changing his alligance to Kumo."

"Either way, We believe a mixture of stockholm syndrome and severe abuse led to Mizuko becoming emotionally attached to him. In the end she agreed to try and escape Kusa again, supposedly to the land of hot springs or iron. From what was gathered she was unaware his final destination was Kumo."

"Due to the bad blood between the Uzumaki clan and Kumo, Mizuko was unwilling to head to Kumo. Once he got them out of the country she proceeded to murder Akio in his sleep although it is also believed she did it as a act of desperation and fear. From then on she burned his corpse but kept his identification tag, headband, and supplies. She turned that in as evidence as well and described the location."

"We sent a team to scout out the location and we found evidence of the murder from human remains, blood and it fits the description she gave. After killing Akio she took the supplies and carriage and fled here to Konoha. Throughout the months she's been here she has only had one problem incident and that was a fight that broke out in the market." Ibiki finished off and Homura nodded.

At that Ibiki bowed slightly and stepped back. Inoichi stepped up and handed out another set of files.

"We have been keeping a close eye on Mizuko and all of her children and the way she interacts with them. To start off we have seen why Kusa decided to keep Mizuko with the children. Although in a normal sense of view the village would keep the breeder away from the children they have and that is due to the fact that they could easily pass down their resentment towards the village." Inoichi started off as the councilors, Hokage and Jiraiya opened the new files they were given.

"To start off Mizuko is just as dependent of them as they are to her. Kusa made sure to nurture her more protective instincts on the children. A form of conditioning, making her to be motherly and to mature faster than other teens her age. Also it has been noted that they are all sensitive towards chakra. This of course is a great boon since we will have great chakra sensors in our forces in a few years. But it has been noted that she was conditioned to stand down when a shinobi flexes their chakra. This theory has been tested, if she starts to get angry or tries to speak out and a shinobi builds up their chakra or even instinctively flexes it, she usually immediately stands down."

"These things don't really effect her in anyway that could damage the village. But it's more or less written down since that is what we were able to gather about her. Now for medical records we have a bit more of that."

"Naruto Uzumaki was placed under her care, as the jinchuriki his medical records are very high clearance and our medics are always keeping tabs on his health."

"Kushina Uzumaki, his mother was known for her abnormaly large chakra reserves. Medical records show that her tenketsu were larger than an average ninja's and that allowed her to control her chakra. This was especially true on the tenketsu on her hands, feet and lower back. It was also suspected it was a rare occurance that came hand in hand with her abnormaly large chakra."

"Naruto's earlier records show that he had average sized tenketsu. Nothing really different other than the fact that he had bigger chakra reserves. With more Uzumaki to compare data with we have found that it's possible that larger tenketsu is a clan trait rather than a one time occurance."

"Mizuko let it slip that Uzumaki tend to leak chakra and are more intune with their surroundings. With the change of enviorment it seems that this was proven true. Naruto's tenketsu have grown in size and we are able to get a more accurate estimate of his chakra size. It has also been found that he is having a easier time molding his chakra and releasing it, he has also developed a sensor ability. We also believe that he will be unlocking the Chains kekkei genkai at this pace." Inoichi stated and the old Hokage nodded.

"So it seems that we have bettered our Jinchuriki. A child he might be but soon he will be a ninja and will have to fullfill his duties as Jinchuriki." Koharu nodded as she looked at the file.

"Yes, his mental state hasn't been this well before. Alot of the reported hyperactiveness that was seen in the academy has gone down. Grade improvements and a healthier build has also been reported. He also is having an easier time connecting with others. Due to his siblings being there the amount of isolation he had been feeling has gone down and with a noble clan backing that he has now people are relunctant to mistreat or give him the cold shoulder. It can also be said that gossip of the fight Mizuko had in the villages market got around and more people are relunctant to crossing her." Inoichi stated

"With some therapy we could not only find out more about Mizuko but work out any of the issues she could have accumulated while in Kusa's care. But for the children a hands off approach should be fine." And with that Inoichi stepped back.

"Mizuko techinically has all rights to defend Naruto and being the adopted son of a Senju Uzumaki acts as a buffer to any undesirable behavior that we had been seeing." Homura stated as he looked over the files.

There was the evaluation of the Yamanaka that spoke with Mizuko when she first arrived, one from Genma and a few more from shinobi who had interacted with her undercover and in passing.

"This Uzumaki girl has brought the village a great boon. If possible I would recommend that she get some ninja training and we could probably file her in our ranks. But she would be very behind and I doubt she would leave her younger children behind in order to serve the village." Koharu stated as she looked at the report Genma had made.

"A strong variable like how Kushina had once been." Homaru stated before Hiruzen spoke up.

"I feel she would serve us better where she currently is. As the only one to recieve direct instruction from a Uzumaki seal master and as the teacher of such art it would be best to keep her away from prying eyes. Besides, our ninja have been testing out the new fuinjutsu already. A better equipped army is better than just one extra solider on the field." He stated and the two councilors nodded.

"Hopefully one of her children is also able to wield the Woodstyle. We should have their chakra's tested as soon as possible." Koharu spoke up and Homura hummed.

"There are two other kekkei genkai they could unlock aside from woodstyle. In terms of clan standing in a few years we will be seeing them rise in popularity and village standing. The boy Naruto will be the one who ends up as clan head, correct?" Homura spoke up and glanced over at Hiruzen.

"He's the legitamate heir for the position. Rumi's lineage was that of a guard for the main branch of the family. Also he is a Konoha born citizen. His loyalty is non questionable until deemed otherwise." Hiruzen stated with a resolute nod.

"In the meantime Mizuko will hold the position. It will be difficult for her to have high sway in meetings due to her lack of shinobi status and immigrant status but with her seals if she is prudent she could be a powerhouse due to being a supplier and clan head." Koharu added as an after thought.

"Would you not find it prudent if we monitor the use of the seals?" Homura pointed out catching the Hokage's attention. "When the shinobi write their reports they will describe instances where a seal saved their life or where they used it. We can monitor and see if having the seals we see a lower mortality rate or a higher success rate. That way the village can make large stock purchases on the more commonly used and the most effective seals that help ensure success and they can be added to the standard Konoha armory." Homura finished off.

Hiruzen paused for a moment before taking a puff of his pipe. "Inoichi make sure that the shinobi are aware that we want them describing how they used their newly purchased seals when they write their reports and make sure your intelligence department has some data in regards to the commonly used seals and most effective ones. We can probably add them to the standard packs our shinobi are given." Hiruzen spoke up and Inoich nodded.

"It will be done sir." Inoichi responded. "Huh, so like the standard issued Explosive tags. Not a bad idea." Koharu nodded.

"Anything else we need to cover?" Hiruzen asked as he glanced at Shikaku. "That would be all of the intel we have prepared for you today Hokage-sama." Shikaku responded.

"Alright, meeting adjourned. Jiraiya please stay. We have other matters to discuss." Hiruzen stated and his student nodded. The two councilors stood up and bowed to Hiruzen and bid him farewell before exiting the room. Ibiki, Inoichi and Shikaku bowed and said their farewells before leaving and closing the doors behind them.

"That was informative but boring as hell," Jiraiya grunted as he plopped down in a seat. Hiruzen chuckled but did not comment on his student's behavior.

"So what did you think?" Hiruzen asked and Jiraiya snickered. "They don't really see the girl as a person, but they find value in her so hence the special treatment she gets. Mizuko-chan seems to have a lot of drive, a fruit stand, and the store. She works from sunrise to sundown, and still juggles the responsibility of having small needy children."

"Without Danzo around its like things fall into place a little nicer. That sleeze bag, his little organization is a pain in the ass to disolve." Jiraiya added with an annoyed look on his face.

"It does, he might've been useful but he outlived his usefulness and was disposed of." Hiruzen stated with a casual shrug.

"You know, he always went on and on about you being soft as if you weren't the one that got us through two wars. You retire once and it was like he forgot who the hell you were. I think he was the one going senile nad probably becoming a bit paranoid also he was blind as a bat. Sure you can act nice every once in a while but that's cause you an pull of the grandfather stunt. But just as always, sensei you are ruthless." Jiraiya stated as Hiruzen chuckled.

"The girl is talented, either Rumi did a great job of raising her and keeping her head on right or she was shinobi material from the very get go and got by through sheer stubborness. Her usage of her kekkei genkai is amazing. With seals she is far beyond anything I could make. Physical injuries are easily healed by her healing ability. Saw it when Kenta's face was swollen and he had been injured in the altercation at the market." Jiraiya stated.

"Makes you wonder what she could do if she went into the medical field." Jiraiya stated. "One of the kids might take the medic route, luckily we have a variety of them. Just got to keep them off the field. Wouldn't want to lose such potential." Hiruzen pointed out.

"That's not even bringing up the chaos that will arise when Kusa finds out they are here. I believe Nanami is the daughter of the Miyasato Norio, And Fumiko is believed to be from the Nakagawa clan." Jiraiya sighed thinking about how much information he would have to make sure he maintained surpressed.

"They are Senju and Uzumaki first. We don't recognize their other origins. Deniability" Hiruzen smirked and Jiraiya laughed.

"Can't deny and say they haven't grown on me. They're good kids, even Mizuko-chan ain't halfbad. Especialy with all the birthday dinners I have ended up going to. Mizuko is turning seventeen this upcoming September, the brats have been asking for me to help do something for her birthday."Jiraiya stated.

"Ah, so I can expect for Naruto and his sibllings to come in and ask for ryo or help?" Hiruzen asked and Jiraiya nodded. "It's his first time celebrating his mom's birthday so he's going to be a bit excited." Jiraiya pointed out and hiruzen nodded.

"I like your style sensei."Jiraiya smirked as he served himself some tea. "But in all seriousness have you seen the dances?" Jiraiya asked as he became serious.

" So you noticed as well?" Hiruzen stated as his eyes narrowed as the light hearted mood dropped. "They are very similar to some of the Uzumaki clan fighting styles that I remember seeing in the second war. Not only that, the amount of chakra they release is ridiculous." Jiraiya pointed out as he sipped some tea.

"They are. As for the chakra releasing, they seem to be connecting to eachother." Hiruzen stated.

"Even Naruto does it. It's not something taught. They do it instinctively. The Uzumaki were known to have a religion that was centered around the shinigami. They can live longer than other's. If I recall correctlty they used to say that the Shinigami favored them so much he let them live longer and that then they never died. It was one of the reasons they were feared so much." Hiruzen stated as he thought back to when the clan had been alive and what was common knowledge back then.

"Well we know more about the clan now than when they were alive. The bit of information that Mizuko has given us access to have been a gold mine of information. Although it's understandable to she does not want to release to much." Jiraiya added.

"She is going through all of the scrolls. Mentioned that it would take a long time due to the amount that was intrusted to her. But with the little time she has I doubt she will get through them all anytime soon." Jiraiya shrugged and sighed.

"You win some, you lose some." Hiruzen shrugged.

"Well Konoha is doing alot of winning old man."

Mizuko let out a long sigh as she washed the dishes after breakfast.

"Alright! Today is laundry day. You know what that means. Everyone bring all of the dirty clothes and the futons. We will be washing everything by the river.

"Awe man." Nanami huffed and pouted. "I wish we had one of those fancy washing machines Naruto-nii told us about." Kenta groaned and was elbowed slightly by Ryuu. " You know mom can't afford that right now. Especially since she has to pay our school fees." He mumbled and Kenta nodded.

"When I become a ninja I'll buy mom one so that she doesn't have to carry our laundry to the river to wash it." Kenta nodded and Mizuko smiled at him and petted the top of his head.

"I would really appreciate that Kenta-chan." She gave him a small smile and Kenta blushed.

"Anyways for now everybody up and start looking." Mizuko called out and everyone started to go get the clothes.

"I found Hayami's jacket." Fumiko called out as she crawled out of one of the hidden passage ways in the wall.

"Did you guys check all of the passage ways?" Mizuko asked and they all nodded. "I found a lollipop." Tadashi stated as he held up an old looking lolipop that he tried to put back in his mouth.

"That's dirty, who knows how long it was sitting out there." Mizuko frowned as she took the candy from him and threw it away. "But Mama!" Tadashi started to cry and take the lolipop out of the trash.

"Tadashi Senju Uzumaki, you better not." Mizuko stated firmly which forced him to stop. He wiped his tears and stomped his foot slightly.

"Come on otouto. Where did you find it anyway?" Naruto asked nudging Tadashi slightly.

"On the floor in the wall." Tadashi pointed out one of the secret doors that led to the passage ways in the walls.

"Eww." Karin wrinkled her nose at that. "Anyway, come along we have much to do today." Mizuko sighed and they all hurried out the temple.

"You guys can play when we are done." Mizuko sighed as Nanami groaned. "But it's not fair. Hisashi and Tadashi aren't scrubbing."

"That's cause they're like 4 and they don't know how to do it right." Ryuu responded making Nanami pout even more.

"So, We can teach them. Right, I've been doing this for a while now. I can teach them." Kenta pipped up and Nanami nodded.

"You just turned seven years old Kenta, stop whining. You didn't do chores at that age either." Mizuko sighed as she was ringing out one of the Futons with Naruto's help.

"But they're running around and playing. I want to play in the water too!" Kenta huffed as he rinsed off a shirt he was washing. " If you guys get done, you can play. and not everyone is playing. It's just Hisashi, Yukio, Hayami and tadashi. Fumiko is watching over Kaida." Mizuko pointed out and Kenta still grumbled about it beng unfair.

"We are taking this back to the temple and letting everything sundry. You guys can play out here for a few hours while. But I need help sweeping the temple, Mopping the floors, dusting, washing the bathrooms and doing the house chores." Mizuko stated and they all nodded.

"So the faster you get done the more you can play." She finished off and the kids started to wash things faster.

"Thank you for coming!" Mizuko bowed at the shinobi who was picking up one of his orders for seals.

The first rush of shinobi had just gone by. Most ninja that placed orders would loiter in the front of the temple waiting for her to open.

She let out loud sigh as she sat started cleaning up the store front slightly. That was until a woman stormed into the seal shop. She had a soft round face and dark purple colored eyes. Her appearance was very risque as it was a mesh shirt, dark short leather skirt with the side slit open and a large trench coat. Her hair was a dark purple that seemed to match her eyes.

"This is the Uzumaki Temple? Where they make seals?" The woman asked almost breathlessly. Mizuko stared at the woman in shock and nodded softly as the woman walked up to her.

" I have a seal, other seal masters have stated that I will never be able to rid of it. Where is the temples seal master? I need their help." The woman sounded desperate as she grabbed both of Mizuko's hands and held them.

"I- Well-I am the seal master here. What kind of seal are we talking about?" She asked and the womans eyes went wide and a large grin spread across her face in what seemed to be relief.

"It was a seal placed on me by my traitorous teacher." The woman stated and Mizuko stared at her for a moment.

"I might be able to help. Where was it placed?" She asked and the woman let go of her hands and pulled her trench coat and mesh shirt. Mizuko looked at the seal on the womans shoulder, her stomach churned as she felt the chakra that was emmiting from the womans neck.

"I...Do you have a membership to the seal shop? In order to do anything you have to have a membership. If it's removal of a seal I also need to have the Hokage's expressed permission to remove it." Mizuko added.

The reason she needed the Hokage's approval was because otherwise the Hyuga branch members would come to see if they could get their seal removed and then there would be an uproar in the Hyuga clan.

The woman stared at her for a moment. "So you can remove it?" She asked her eyes going wide and Mizuko grimaced. "I have to study it first but I am not allowed to do that without the Hokage's permission." She responded and the purple haired woman nodded solemly.

"I will go to the tower and get an ID and permission from the Hokage then." She stated and Mizuko nodded absentmindedly as the woman turned around and left in a gust of wind.

Mizuko stared at the empty space in front of her in awe as the Kunoichi was gone.

The day went on with occasional shinobi coming in and placing orders. There wasn't alot of traffic like there had been the first few days, but she was still getting plenty of business and having to place backorders and orders for the ninja.

That was until the same purple haired woman stumbled back into the temple. She was holding a scroll and her newly printed Card that let her purchase seals. "Uzumaki-san!" The woman grinned as she placed both hands on the counter and grinned excitedly as she handed her the scroll and ID.

"Anko Mitarashi, Tokobetsu Jonin." Mizuko mumbled as she read the name on the ID. "Yup, and I even got the scroll you asked from Hokage-sama." She stated and Mizuko opened the scroll and sure enough it was a letter from the Hokage.

She read through it and nodded slightly. So a traitor named Orochimaru had once been anko's teacher, when it was discovered that he was experimenting on people he managed to flee the village and kidnapped anko.

He placed that horrid seal on Anko's neck and basically gave her a mild case of amnesia. The Hokage wanted her to try her best and remove the seal from her and free her from the curse her Orochimaru had placed on her.

"I can try." She stated as she looked at Anko. " But I cannot do it within store hours I close in about an hour. If you would like you can come in have some tea and I can check that seal out for you." Mizuko stated and Anko's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." Anko stated as she bowed deeply. Mizuko couldn't help but flush." No- no it's fine. I deal with seals so it is no big deal." She tried to say and Anko looked up at her with a relieved expression.

"The letter also stated that the Hokage tower will be paying for the cost of the sealing of or removal of the seal that is on you." Mizuko added and Anko's widened even more. "So be here after 8?" she asked and Mizuko nodded.

At 8 o'clock sharp Anko was back and waiting for Mizuko to close up the temple.

Mizuko took a few deep breathes. She was one of the best seal masters in the elemental nations but she had never had to study a seal that she had no knowledge of. It made her nervous. Would she be able to remove it? How long will the counter seal take to make. How good was that Orochimaru and what would she see on that seal?

Many questions ran through her mind but she steeled herself for the check up.

"This way Anko-san." She smiled polietly as she led Anko towards the back of the sealing temple. There were many halls that twisted and turned. Some led to chambers and different mask shrines where rituals used to be held. There were also dozens of passage ways where the kids loved to sneak into and play.

Anko nodded and followed quietly behind her. She looked anxious as she slightly twiddled her fingers. Mizuko could guess she understood why. The aura that came from that seal didn't indicate anything good.

"So how long have you had that seal on you?" Mizuko asked and Anko glanced at her. "A few years, I was about fourteen or fifteen when I got it." She says with a sad smile.

"I'm going to study it, and try to make a counter seal or containment seal. My children, they are also studying seals and will probably take a look at it as well. It would be wise since sometimes a fresh set of eyes will help the process of removal." She says and Anko slightly cocked her head.

"How old are they?" She asked and Mizuko smiled as she thought of the kids. "My oldest is nine but he will be ten soon in october, my youngest is a few months old though." She says and anko's eyes widened slightly.

"When I first saw you I thought you were pretty young. You must age real well." She says slightly surprised. Mizuko flushed slightly, "I'm actually fifteen, I'll be sixteen next month ." She says and anko slowly nods. "I see." She says as Mizuko opens one of the slidding doors.

"Mama!" Hayami squeals loudly as she runs toward Mizuko and runs into her legs. "They did, mama, they did it." Hayami cried loudly as big fat tears ran down her cheeks and there was a bright red mark on her forehead. Mizuko sighed as she picked up little Hayami and held her close. "Alright , What happened?" She asked and the older kids looked a bit cowed.

"Well, Kenta and Tadashi were playing kick ball and the ball kinda flew off and hit her on the forehead." Ryuu grimaced and Mizuko sighed.

"I hope the two of you were not playing inside of the temple." She scolded and the two of the winced and looked away.

" Sorry about that. "She sighs as she turned around and looked at Anko who seemed to look a bit amused at the whole situation. "No, no it's fine." She says and Mizuko nods. "Karin, be a dear and make us some tea." Mizuko sighs as she cradles Hayami who was sniffling and curled up in her arms.

"Naruto- wait no um Kenta, please bring out our nicer tea set." She says and Kenta raises a brow at her and then nods.

"Please sit. Karin and Kenta both will serve you some tea. If you could give me a minute while I get everyone settled in and serve them dinner. I usually don't have guest at this time of day." Mizuko says as she sits Hayami down and stands up to hurry into the kitchen.

"Are you a ninja?" Naruto asks as he sits near her. He was holding a seven month old Kaida and bouncing her on his lap. Anko cocked a brow at him. She could recognized the Kyubii brat anywhere. He was always the hot talk of the village.

"Yeah, I am. I've come to seek some advice about a seal." She says and Naruto nods as he cooed at little Kaida.

Anko watched him cautiously. 'From the rumors you'd think the kid was a sociopath or psychopath. Like another Itachi waiting to happen. A demon in the flesh. But who'd have thought that the so called demon brat is as normal as they come.' Anko observed as she watched Naruto give Kaida a raspberry on her tummy making her squeal happily.

Anko was brought out of her musing as Hayami poked her shoulder. Anko turned to look at the small toddler with a raised eyebrow. The little girl had her hair in two pig tails, red fluffy curls that slightly framed her face, her eyes were a light violet and stood out against her pale skin. "Ew." Hayami pointed at Anko as she wrinkled her nose.

For a moment Anko's face nearly flushed in annoyance. 'Some random brat calling me ugly?!' Anko's anger was cut short when the small child poked her on the neck where her trench coat hid away the seal. "Eww, go away." She lightly patted on her shoulder and Anko's eyes widen. 'Can she tell I have the seal on me?' Anko was still as she looked at the small little girl.

"Leave her alone Hayami." Nanami shooed her little sister away from Anko. "Sorry bout that." She grinned as sat down as well. "Are you a really strong ninja? I haven't seen that many kunoichi before." Nanami grinned as she started to try and ask questions.

"Leave Anko-san alone." Karin scolded as she brought the tea pot and Kenta walked behind her holding the fine china set.

"Yeah, besides you ain't even in the academy yet." Kenta grinned and Nanami frowned. "Yeah, well I'mma start soon. I just wanna have a head start on being a strong Kunoichi." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but anko-san is our guest so we should be polite." Karin huffed as she set down the tea pot carefully and then took the tray from kenta and carefully began to make and serve the tea.

Anko didn't say anything to them as the three of them bickered. "Y'all, if you're going to fight go outside and do it and where mom can't see you." Naruto groaned in annoyance at his sibling antics. The last thing he needed was for them to get their chakra riled up and scare Kaida and then they would have to take care of the crying infant.

"There better not be any fighting. I served dinner at the table. All of you out." Mizuko snapped as she walked in holding a wooden spoon dangerously. That got them all out of the room quickly. "Sorry about that. I also brought this. I can take a look at your seal whenever your ready." Mizuko says as the two women were finally alone.

Anko nodded. "This is it right here." She says as she slowly removes her trench coat and some of her mesh. Mizuko silently kneals beside her and takes a look at the seal. "Let me see if I can open it up to get a better look at it." She says as she hovers her fingers over the seal.

With care Mizuko manages to start unraveling the seal. She winces as the dark chakra errupts from it. "I can start seeing it." She says as she uses her right hand to unseal a blank scroll and ink brush. With smooth even strokes she starts writing on Anko's skin.

"How bad is it?" Anko asks as she was being uncharacteristically quiet. Her usual outgoing personality was no where to be seen. After years and what seemed to be lost hope her freedom was at stake. Anko was nervous and excited at the same time.

"I will unravel it. Since the seal seems to be embeded deep into your chakra channels it might hurt some. I will be copying the seal and placing it in this scroll. This is so I can study it." She says and Anko nods as she tried to keep herself upright. The more the seal unraveled the more she felt the urge to scream and move away from Mizuko. Anko gritted her teeth and clenched her hands tightly as the pain increased.

Anko felt as if her entire body was on fire, her nerves pulsed and even breathing caused a sharp pain in chakra. Her breathing was uneven and she could feel sweat drip down her brow as Mizuko copied the seal.

Pain, Pain, PAin, PAIN! White hot pain filled her senses and Anko was trying to stay still. She could almost hear Orochimaru's loud cackles and her body jerked as.

Mizuko had transfered a copy of the seal onto the blank scroll before closing it. As the seal closed it was as if Anko snapped her hands moving up to hold onto her aching neck, the table was flipped as Anko scrambled back and let out a sharp scream before falling unconcious. Mizuko screamed a bit in surprise and the sound of small footsteps rushing over brought her out of her momentary fright.

"Mom!" Ryuu yelled out as Naruto followed close behind looking ready to battle. Karin, Kenta and Nanami followed close behind and the smaller kids were curious of what happned.

Mizuko looked up and noticed them. "It's fine." She says as she looks down to see that the front of her kimono was wet with the boiling hot tea and that she had been burned slightly when Anko had reacted.

"Everything is fine." She says as she starts to stand up and held the scroll with the seal tightly. It was dry and safe. "Here, i'll help clean up." Karin stated as she walked forward and eyed Anko wearily.

"Ah, she passed out." Mizuko frowned as she tried to wake the Kunoichi up. "Did she pass out?" Kenta asked as he walked to where Mizuko was and poked Anko.

"I think so, I guess I'll take her to the spare bedroom." She frowns as she turned to Ryuu. "Take this to my study, it's very dangerous. We will look at it later." She says as she hands him the scroll and starts to pick Anko up.

They ate dinner in silence. Anko had been placed in one of the spare bedrooms for the night.

"What kind of seal were you looking at?" Fumiko asked and Mizuko sighed.

"I'm not too sure. But we will have to study it in depth. I'll look over it first. Just in case." She says as she hold Kaida and feeds her soft fruits and some rice.

"Is she going to stay the night here?" Nanami asks and Mizuko sighs.

"If she doesnt wake up by tomorrow I guess I'll call the medics. But enough of that. Yall have school tomorrow so eat, wash up and off to bed." She says as she eats.

The older kids groan loudly.

I'm too lazy to write more. I'm not completely satisfied with this so I might edit this later on.

Sorry I posted and then removed this chapter. I posted it on accident lol.

Anyway comment please

Rosyhatake


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Worst Seal Master

Anko POV

I slowly opened my eyes and noticed I was not home. I sat up instantly and looked around me.

The room had a large window, there were tatami mats on the floor and I was laying on a futon. Other than that the room did seem kind of empty with the exception of my clothes and gear that was in the corner of the room.

I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what had happened. My eyes widened as I recalled that Mizuko had been inspecting my seal. I slowly got out of bed, I looked down to see I was wearing a simple yukata.

It didn't take long for me to get dressed. I folded up the yukata I had been dressed with and quietly walked out of the room.

"Settle down, and finish your breakfast." I heard Mizuko as I carefully walked through the hallway.

"Hey, it's anko-san." one of the smaller boys grinned as he was shoving scrambled eggs into his mouth. He had straight red hair and his skin was almost a chocolate dark color, his eyes were hazel just like Mizuko's as well.

"Hisashi, don't talk while your eating." Mizuko sighed as she turned to me. "I see you're up. You passed out yesterday so I took you to one of our spare bedrooms. I haven't been able to finish all of the remodelings of the temple so sorry if it wasn't as nice." She says as she stands up.

"Here, I'll get you something to eat, go ahead and take a seat." She says as she hurries into the kitchen.

"Sit with me!" Nanami squeals as she pats the place beside her. I couldn't help but smile at her. She looked a lot like Mizuko except her skin tone was a bit darker and her eyes were a dark crimson color.

"Scoot over Fumiko so Anko-san can sit with us."Nanami nudged at her younger sister who nodded and did as she was told.

"The older kids are in class right now. So there's a bit more room at the table. Are you feeling better?" Mizuko asks as she walks in holding a plate of food.

I nod. "I am, I just blacked out yesterday." I say with a smile as I took the plate she was handing me.

"Good, I haven't had time to really look over the seal. May I ask how the seal was applied? It could help me in the long run." Mizuko asked and I stiffened slightly.

"I don't remember, that man messed with my head and I can't remember." I say as I looked at the food on the plate.

"I see, that's fine. I'll figure it out I guess. There's a lot of components to the seal so I am not sure how it is going to work out. But I'll see what I can do." She says and I look up at her and nod.

"Thanks, I'll owe you one, Mizuko-chan." I grin widely and her face flushes. I guess she ain't half bad.

Mizuko POV

After a few hours, Anko gave her thanks and left. I had decided it would be a good idea to stay home for the day.

I had all of my paperwork spread in front of me. I was in my 'office' where I would study seals and do a bit of financing.

Through the seal shop, I was making a large revenue. I was also finding it a bit hard to balance both the fruit stand and the shop. Maybe I could hire someone to watch the fruit stand throughout the day so that I could focus more on the kids and my seals.

I sighed loudly as I tried to figure out the math. I could pay someone to watch the stand for at least 11 ryo an hour. Seven hours a day and six days a week I could pay them 462 ryo a weekly. The stand makes me at least 2,000 ryo a week so that should be enough to hire at least one person.

And I could keep a close eye on the amount of products sold to make sure that the person wasn't stealing any money. Besides, the kids did help pick fruits after school so that part wasn't a problem.

I nodded firmly, I would hire some help for the stand. As for the seal store. I would just have to work harder in the production of them in order to raise my income on that.

I was making a minimum of 20,000 ryo through that weekly. And that was without the Jonin coming in to make large purchases. I counted up the amount of money I had, I could place it in the bank but I wasn't sure if I should.

'It's not like I don't trust the village' I think to myself as I glanced at the stacks of ryo on my desk. Maybe I could invest some of it and keep the rest sealed away.

I always had so much to do and so little time. "Mama! Nii-san and Nee-chan are home!" I heard Nanami yell and I sighed.

"Okay!" I yell back as I grabbed the money and sealed it away. I would have to worry about that later. I grabbed one of the books that I had been given to study.

That was another thing that had slightly changed. Even though I was not trained to fight nor had a military status I was expected to be a clan head.

Naruto was due to become a shinobi and I am fairly certain that the other kids would also follow in his footsteps. Hence I was going to join the clan council and I was expected to learn some clan etiquette.

It had taken a while but I had been able to obtain some books on how the whole clan thing worked. Even some of Mito's scrolls had some things laid out. Like marrying someone into the clan, what can and can't be shared with outsiders, or how to handle most clan positions for the Uzumaki.

Technically Naruto was slated in for the clan head position when he became chunin or turned sixteen. (Whichever came first) But for now, I held the position and had the say-so in the Uzumaki clan side of things.

As for the Senju that all fell under Tsunade's judgment and from what I had gathered that woman would probably never return to the village.

I walked out of my office and sealed it up so that the kids couldn't get inside.

"Hey, ma!" Naruto grinned as he carried Yukio on his back. "How was school?" I asked as I took a seat in the living room. Naruto smiled brightly as he began to tell me how his day went.

After about half an hour Ryuu, Karin, Kenta, and Naruto headed out to pick some fruits and to go training. Nanami and Tadashi tried to follow them out but I quickly told them no. They were going to be throwing around Kunai and sparing and the last thing I needed was for one of them to get hurt.

And with that the day seem to go by.

I woke up and groaned. My head was spinning and I felt heavy.

I slowly forced myself up and my muscles seemed to be protesting. "Wake up." I grumbled as I shook Kenta who was the closest to me.

"You have to go to class today." I added as I felt my stomach stir. I got up and stumbled out of bed trying to make sure I didn't step on anyone. My stomach stirred once more as I hurried to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I vomited.

I could feel the stomach acid leave a sour taste in my mouth. I pulled back and wiped my mouth. I slightly stumbled to the sink as I washed my hands and then face. "my face feels hot." I mumble as I look at myself in the mirror. I looked pale and the rim of my eyes looked red.

I stumbled out of the bathroom and went to check on the time. "5:00 a.m." I grumble out as I take a seat on one of the plush pillows in the living room.

"I should take my temperature."I mumble as I got up again and grabbed a thermometer and placed it in my mouth. I also dug through the pantry and grabbed a face mask to put on.

When the thermometer beeped I took it out and grimaced at the 102 temperature.

I placed the mask on and hurried to wash my hands and get started with the day.

I could feel myself move slowly as I went ahead and made some bento's and started making breakfast. My head felt woozy as I hurried to at least make something. I could stay at home and try to get better. With my insurance policy, I could go to the hospital and get some antibiotics.

"Mom are you okay?" I jumped as I head a voice. I turned to see ryuu at the doorway. "I-uh- I'm fine, just a bit sick. I might go to the doctors while you kids are at school." I try to say cheerfully but even my voice sounded hoarse.

I glanced over at the time and noticed it was already 7 in the morning. "Could you wake your siblings up for school?" I asked him and he nodded as he walked away.

I set the food out and then laid my head against my arms as I tried to relax.

"You sure she's okay?" I head a concerned voice as I was being shaken slightly. I opened my eyes slowly. It almost felt like my head was underwater as I tried to listen to what Naruto was saying.

"You sure she's okay?" Karin asked a bit concerned, I sat up slightly, I could feel myself rock slightly as I tried to sit up straight.

"Mom, are you okay? Ryuu said you didn't feel so well." Naruto frowned and I looked up at him. "I think I am fine." I slurred out as he placed his hand on my head.

Naruto looked at me and then turned to the other kids and said something I wasn't able to hear.

"I think I'll skip school today. I'm taking you to the doctors." He stated firmly and I cocked a brow. "Then who will stay with your siblings?" I asked and Karin stood up. "I will. Kenta and Ryuu will still go to school, But I can watch over the kids while Naruto takes you to the doctor." She says and I slowly nod as I felt a headache.

Karin made me some tea and I sipped some as Naruto helped his siblings get ready for the day. Kenta and Ryuu were busy pulling out the Futon from the bedroom and cleaning up so no one else would catch my fever.

I had put my head down against the cool table and was relaxing. Maybe I had a fever or just a stomach bug. I was mostly at the stand so I wouldn't be surprised if someone else got me sick. The last thing I wanted was to get everyone else sick.

"Come on." Naruto hummed as he helped me up. He was holding my purse and letting my hold on to his arm and lean on him for support.

I felt bad, my entire body ached and although I felt warm I was still cold.

"Kenta, Ryuu leave the futon's to air dry and then hurry up and go to school." Naruto says and the two boys nod. They were wet from head to toe from washing the futons.

Naruto led me out of the temple and I was already tired. There were a lot of stairs we had to go down and we passed a few of the compounds. I couldn't help but feel annoyed at how loud the village was all I wanted to do was lay down and let my muscles relax.

"We are almost there. Don't worry." Naruto smiled and I slowly nodded. It was comforting to know that I could rely on the kids when I was sick. It had been a long time since I had gotten sick. The last time it was pregnancy symptoms so they don't really count.

It didn't take long for us to arrive at the hospital. We waited for nearly an hour before a nurse was able to see us. She ran a few tests and told me I had the flu.

With that she gave me medicine, a shot, and instructions on not going to work, getting plenty of fluids and to be careful because it was contagious.

Naruto helped me out of the hospital. "Does it hurt being sick?" He asked and I glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked softly and he shrugged. "I've never been sick before so I want to know if it hurts." He stated and I hummed.

'The Kyubii must keep him healthy at all times. Even if he were to get sick it would only last a few hours at most.' I thought to myself before nodding.

"Yeah, It's not easy. We get sick because of germs. Small bacteria or viruses get into our bodies and make us sick."I say and he scrunched his nose slightly.

"How do they get in, wouldn't we see it?" He asked and I shook my head. "They're very small, so small you would need a microscope to see it. We can't see it with our eyes. Our bodies fight back and get rid of them eventually but medicine helps." I say as we walked home.

"Wow, How do you know though?" He asked as he looked up at me.

"Well, I was taught in-" I paused for a moment as I tried to think. 'How did I learn it in school... If I never went to school.' I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and tried to remember. All I could think about was looking down at a textbook and looking at a drawing of a cell. Were there other students there as well?

"I think I was taught. I don't remember who taught me. It's just been a really long time." I muttered as I continued to walk alongside him.

'Maybe it was a daydream. It has to be, because I never went to school.'I thought to myself.

The next few days I found myself staying in the guest bedroom and recovering from the flu. I used the time to draw seals and get them ready for pick up.

I also wrote a note for both Karin and Naruto to give to their teachers on why they had missed class.

I wore a face mask daily to make sure the younger kids didn't get sick either and both Nanami and Fumiko helped me with their younger siblings.

Before I knew it I was better and back on my feet.

I hadn't had a chance to really look at Anko's seal nor work inside of the seal store. Naruto and Karin had worked together to get all of the orders done under my watchful eye.

When I woke up I felt a lot better, I stretched and crawled out of the futon.

I made breakfast and let the older kids sleep in since it was the weekend. The smaller kids were up and running around. Kaida was on my back where she was held securely by a sling while Yukio and Hayami played by my feet. They would run around me and at times cling on to my Kimono. And on rare occasions even crawl underneath my Kimono.

"Morning." Hisashi yawned as he walked into the room and settled on one of the plushy pillows.

"Morning sweetheart." I say with a smile as he dozed off slightly and groaned.

"What we doin today ma?" he asked as he looked over at her.

"Well, today we are just going to work on your sealing and well I guess that's it." I say and he nods.

Everyone started to come in and sat around the table waiting for me to serve the food.

"Good morning sleepy heads." I smile as I set down the pot of food down on top of the mat on the table."Morning mom." They greeted back as they started to grab some food and eating.

"So today I want to try and start looking at Anko-san's seal. What do you guys think?" I ask as I glanced at them.

"Are you going to let us look over it too?" Fumiko asked excitedly as she looked up from her plate.

"I think it would be a good learning experience. It will be hands-on learning. We will go over the seal together." I say as I sit Kaida on my lap and start to spoonfeed her as well.

"Yay! We get to see the sealing."Fumiko cheered as she eagerly started to eat.

"Okay spread out. You can write your theories on your scrolls and if you have any questions you are welcomed to ask." I say as I made sure the kids gave me enough room to open the scroll.

"Yes, mom." They all nod as I set the scroll down as I opened it.

"Wow, I think this is the largest array we've seen." Karin grins as she squats down and looks over the scroll.

"Their Fuinjutsu array is horrible." Fumiko frowns as she looks down.

"Huh?" Karin grumbles as she stands up and looks at the entire array.

I nodded as I look over the array. "The modeling is horrible and too uniform. The person who did this is at most a level 4 apprentice. The set up is too confined so that makes it dangerous. Probably why it has such a low success rate." I say as I look over the seal.

"What would have you done for a seal like this?" Naruto asks as he wrinkles his nose. His sealing experience was too low for him to dissect the finer detail of the seal. But Fumiko and Karin could see the flaws.

"First off an even number base with more sides for the multiple space function." I say as I looked down at the seal.

"There aren't any inner structural rules or laws this seal is horrible!" Karin complains loudly as she crouches down and glares at the seal.

"I have to agree with that sentiment. The creator of this seal did a piss poor job but there are some genuinely interesting pieces so this." I say as Ryuu looks over at me.

"Can you run us through what this piece means?" He asks and I nod.

Everyone gathered together as I broke down that portion of the seal.

After that, it seemed that the seal was the topic everyone wanted to talk about.

"Yeah, yeah! The left matrix makes sense when you add the bottom middle matrix it's like they meld together to stabilize one another.!" Ryuu nods at the logic of it.

"But it's excessive in size! And as so it's ineffective! Shows the lack of planning and makes the possibility of crossing signals possible!" Karin sneered as she picked at her food.

"Eat your dinner." I sighed as I was cleaning Kaida's face.

"More please!" Hayami grinned as she pushed her plate towards me so she could get more rice.

I smile as I serve her more rice.

"Facts! I'm not a seal genius but even I can see that it's ineffective. A smaller matrix with more sides would've accommodated the same function in less than half the space." Kenta shrugged and Karin nodded.

"I know! The seal maker should cut off their hands for making such a failure of a seal!" Karin sneers angrily as she shoves rice in her mouth.

"Well, I want to say that... I agree! They're sealing just sucks. And the way it is written shows a large lack of creativity and lack of level 5 discipline. They can't even write laws within their sealing which would explain such novice mistakes." Fumiko stammered out.

"The maker of the seal is one of the 3 legendary sannin. But I guess Lord Jiraiya is much better than this person but it's no surprise he couldn't unravel this seal. It's not well made so it makes it complicated. We are also not to make an improved version of the seal but instead, we are to simply remove it." I sigh as I look over at Karin and Fumiko who had been jotting down all the mistakes in the seal.

Both girls scoffed and I couldn't help but sigh.

At least they were all excited about learning more about seals so getting them to study was a bit easier.

Kaida was strapped to my back on a sling, Hayami was quietly walking beside me and Yukio followed behind her.

Tadashi and Hisashi were at home along with Nanami and Fumiko.

I was carrying the scrolls full of fruits to my stand. I noticed the other merchants also setting up their stand for the day.

I smiled as I unsealed boxes of fruits and vegetables as I set them up for display.

I also made sure to put out my help wanted sign. It would be a lot easier to study and keep watch over the kids if I had a worker to keep up with the fruit/vegetable stand.

With that, I opened up and began making sales.

"Thank you. Come again." I smile politely at. A customer as I hand them the vegetables.

"Excuse me. I couldn't help but notice your help wanted sign."

I turn to see a young girl about 11-13 years old. I placed a hand on my hip and nodded.

"Yes, I have a job opening here at the stand. Someone you know interested?" I ask her and she nods.

"I'm interested. My name is Umi. I'm currently looking for an apprenticeship or job. I finished my civilian schooling and I can count money well." She bowed before standing up straight.

I couldn't help but cock a brow. "So you don't have class anymore? What about your parents. Would they mind you working here?" I ask and she shook her head.

"I'm an orphan, at twelve we get apprenticeships or jobs and move out of the orphanage. I've been living on my own for about a year now." She adds and I nod.

"Did you have an apprenticeship before this?" I ask her and she blushed and nodded.

"I worked at a tea shop as a maiko, in the higher district. But I tripped and spilled some tea on a VIP and to save face I was kicked out and my apprenticeship was revoked. I've been out of work for nearly a week." Her face was flushed as she spoke.

"Well, Umi. I pay 11 ryo per hour here. If you are interested." I shrug and nod.

Her eyes widened. "Eleven?!" She asked kind of shocked.

"Yes, only eleven. How much were you paid for being a maiko?" I asked her.

"3 ryo per hour, I also worked to get my maiko studies and training in singing, dancing and instrumental training. So hence the low pay wage" She responded.

I nodded as I thought about it for a moment. She looked like an honest kid.

Her hair was light brown, her eyes were green and there were freckles all on her face. She also wore a beautiful purple kimono with a green obi.

"How old are you?" I ask and she smiles slightly.

"I'm thirteen." She grins and I can't help but look at her in shock.

I could barely remember much of what happened when I was that age.

I could feel bitterness swell in the pit of my stomach. I had been her age when I had my first child.

I couldn't help but feel disgusted by that. I couldn't help but notice the baby fat still clinging onto Umi's cheeks and how young she looked.

To think that there had been men disgusting enough to have put hands on me at that age, while I had still looked so much like a child.

"Well, I guess your hired." I give her a smile as I took down the sign and she eagerly stepped behind the stand to be alongside me.

"I'll coach you through on how to run the stand for a few days before I start leaving you to work here alone." I smile at her.

The rest of the morning was spent teaching her how to weigh and sell the product and how to haggle with customers when they wanted to get something a bit cheaper or wanted to trade instead of simply just buying.

"Mizuko-San, I wanted to ask if you have a spare room in your house. I know I might be overstepping but my last apprenticeship provided housing and I haven't been able to acquire a home due to the lack of money." Umi stammered out as we were packing the food on the scrolls.

"So your homeless?" I ask cocking a brow and she flushed even more.

"Hmm, I need some help around my home. Cooking and cleaning, maybe babysitting every once in a while. If you are willing to help with that I can provide housing and most meals while you work with me." I say as I do a few hand seals and seal the fruits away.

"That's fine. I do not mind assisting in housework." She nods excitedly.

I nod as I place the scrolls in a bag as I turn to both Hayami and Yukio. "Let's go! Time to go home and eat." I say before glancing at Umi.

"Come on kid." I grin as I gestured for Umi to follow.

It doesn't take long before we are climbing the stairs to get to the Uzumaki temple.

"Now I have eleven children. The oldest are in the academy the other ones usually stay at home and cause havoc. Of course, the youngest come to work with me. I think it would be prudent to have more free time with them. Hence why I am hiring you." I say as she follows behind me. I could tell she was already winded by the climbing of the stairs.

"We are almost there. The top is right there at the Tora gates." I point out as we climbed the staircase.

Umi nods breathlessly as she climbs the stairs. As we passed beneath the massive Tora gates we walked by the massive fire pyres at the entrance of the temple.

The giant fire lanterns were made of pure stone and about 6 feet tall and several feet in width.

I gestured for her to follow as she took in the sight of the temple.

The temple had stairs to climb up on as well and two large red doors with gold decorations and red dragon handles.

"The temple doors are a bit too heavy to keep opening and closing so we use the back door most of the time. I have a shinobi only seal store here and I only open the doors when the seal shop is open. I also have a few rules you have to follow but other than that I will not ask for much." I say as I lead her to the side of the temple where there was a normal door.

"I'm home!" I called out as I checked to see where everyone was at as I bowed at the shrine at the entrance of the house before removing my shoes.

"Boo!" Tadashi grinned as he slammed open one of the many secret doors as he tried to scare us.

"Gyhaa!" Umi squealed in shock and Tadashi grinned brightly and laughed as he got out and gave me a hug. "Hi, mama." He smiles

"This is Tadashi." I say as I pat Tadashi's head and glance at Umi who shyly nods. "Mama!" Hisashi squealed excitedly as he rushed into the room with Fumiko following closely behind.

"Hey, sweetie." I grinned as he slammed against me and hugged me.

"This is Hisashi and that's Fumiko. I have no idea where Nanami's at." I say as I look around.

"Fu-chan, Tadashi, and Hisashi this is Umi. Umi-chan is going to be working for mama and living here as well. So say hello." I say and they all turned and bowed to her.

"Pleasure meeting you Umi" Fumiko squeaks out meekly while both Hisashi and Tadashi greet her loudly.

I sigh as I undo the sling and set Kaida down on the floor.

She grins widely as she quickly crawls away to follow behind her siblings who were rushing by to get to the toys.

"Let me find you a clean futon. I'll also let you pick out a room." I say as I hurry off to do so. "Make yourself at home," I say with a smile as I notice Nanami walk into the room from where the kitchen was at.

"Hi! I'm Nanami!" She smiles brightly as she sees Umi.

I made a large meal for dinner. Umi was helping me cook while the older kids were outside training in the training ground.

"When is dinner gonna be ready?" Nanami asked as she crossed her arms.

"Soon. Just give us a bit." I say with a chuckle.

"Mizuko-San I finished cutting the vegetables." Umi said as passed the bowl full of cut-up vegetables

"Thank you Umi. Nanami since you are so ready to eat go ahead and bring out the plates and set up the table." I say as I glance back at her.

She groaned but nodded.

"They're pretty rowdy." Umi stated and I couldn't help but giggle.

"They are, but I guess it's to be expected." I grinned as I poured in the Vegetables.

Here it is the new chapter! I hope you guys like Umi!

I'm not sure if I set it up like this but orphans move out of the orphanage at 12 in this universe.

They either become ninja, get an apprenticeship or work at that age. Some 'bad' kids are kicked out and since they dropped out of school they're left jobless until they get themselves together.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Family

Third Person POV_

"Umi-nee, Can you try playing this one?" Ryuu asked as he held out a scroll. Umi glanced up and carefully grabbed the scroll and began looking over it.

"Yeah, I think I can." She smiles as she picks up her pipa and began to pluck at the strings of the instrument. She cleared her throat before singing the song that was written on the scroll.

All of the children smiled as they listened to Umi play her instrument. "I wish I could play a Pipa as well." Fumiko smiled as she hummed at the music.

Mizuko couldn't help but glance over at the kids that had gathered around Umi. It had been almost a full month since Umi had moved in. The girl took care of the stand in the morning and the afternoons she spent helping around in the temple or helping the kids out.

The young girl was very talented in playing string instruments so Mizuko had let her see some of the music sheets and scrolls that she had found while going through the scrolls Riku had sealed on her body.

The young girl had taken to playing the old traditional Uzumaki music in the evenings while Mizuko worked or studied.

The kids watch her or began singing and dancing to the music Umi played. Mizuko also liked listening to the music and at times she would also watch the girl play.

"Mom, can you teach us the dance that goes with this?"Nanami asked as she skipped over to the table where Mizuko had dozen of scrolls spread out.

"Right now?" Mizuko turned and asked as Nanami nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Please mama!" She whined loudly. Mizuko sighed as she looked down at the dozen of scrolls she was studying.

"Well, I can show you a thing or two. But afterward, I'll have to go back to studying." Mizuko sighed as she got up. Everyone else quieted down as they heard Mizuko say she would teach them a few new dances.

Mizuko smiled as she took in a deep breath. She slightly spread her feet apart before she began to dance. Her feet moved swiftly as she went through a few motions. " You have to stay light and on your toes. Don't forget the most of the whirlpool dances are fluid and there are a lot of circular motions." She spoke as she slowly moved through the motions of the dance.

"You must also remember to breathe correctly so that your chakra flows. " She smiled as Karin got up and started to mimic her.

"Like this?" Karin asked as she tried to go through with the movements. "Hmm, yeah. Make sure you loosen your muscles or it will not look right." Mizuko stated as Naruto quickly got up and began to try it.

"Ya know when you break it down like this it almost looks like one of the Katas that we do in the academy." he stated and Ryuu hummed. "Nii-san is right, it kind of does." Ryuu stated and Kenta nodded.

"Well, I wouldn't know since I don't go to the academy yet." Nanami growls out as she tries to mimic the dance.

"I like this dance." Tadashi grins as he also tries it. Yukio simply watched his older siblings try to dance and he grinned and tried to do it as well, even though he was doing it completely wrong. Hayami simply pointed at them and giggled happily as she watched them try to mimic Mizuko.

"Here let me play." Umi grinned as she began to play the music again.

"I think I am getting the hang of it." Fumiko smiled as she carefully moved through the motion Mizuko had shown them.

"Nee-chan looks pretty." Hisashi smiled as he bounced on his heels and looked at Fumiko who was mostly getting the dance right.

Mizuko placed her hands on her sides and nodded. "Ya'll practice that." She smiled as she walked back over to the small table and began studying once more.

Another thing that was happening was that Mizuko spent a lot of more time going through the scrolls she had inherited. There had been a few pictures and some scroll containing either valuables or family heirlooms. Those had been put away in the temple.

There had been a few scrolls that had classified information that had once belonged to Uzushio. Those specific scrolls had been hidden away and she would go over them when all the kids were asleep. After going through them Mizuko would hide them away in one of the many secret rooms in the temple.

The only ones that knew where she was hiding them were Naruto and Karin.

Mizuko stretched her limbs slightly as she looked at the scrolls in front of her, the ones that she had found this time around went into more detail about seal functions and the micro chemical and physical reactions different kanji could affect the end results of a seal.

As for the seal she had gotten from Anko, she was still working on it diligently. There were a few factors that didn't make sense to her. She could tell that there was some chakra imprints that were probably bits of orochimaru's raw chakra, but there was also some kind of chakra that seemed off. She could feel that the chakra was there but at the same time the chakra felt non-existant which seemed to throw her off.

She had bounced some ideas between Karin and Fumiko who were the highest ranked but even they had no idea what it could be that caused that kind of reaction. That and the fact that it was that same chakra that made it impossible for Jiraiya to remove it.

Even with seeing how hard it was to remove the girls (Fumiko and Karin) would still spend most of the time judging the sanin for his sealwork.

By the time Mizuko was nearly done studying for the night she stood up and stored everything away before shooing everyone off to wash their teeth and get to bed.

"So Shunichi-sensei says that I need to practice my Kata's more. But it's not fair everyone else has a head start!" Karin groaned as they walked home from the academy.

"We can practice your Kata's in the training ground. Sure everyone has about three more years of practice but you can get it right if you try." Naruto patted Karin's shoulder in sympathy.

"Can I practice the Kata's with y'all? I know your Taijutsu classes are more advanced than mine, but I want to get a head start." Kenta stated as he kicked a few pebbles down the street.

"He has a point, might as well practice alongside you nii-san." Ryuu stated and Naruto hummed as he scratched the back of his head before nodding.

"I guess. I can run you through the Kata's Iruka-sensei has been teaching me." He shrugged as they started climbing up the stairs to the temple.

"So after we finish our homework we go out and train?" Karin asked and Naruto nodded. "We also have to pick some fruits for mom and Umi-nee. If we finish quickly enough we will have more time." Naruto stated and the other three nod.

"Then let's go!" Kenta grinned as he hurried up the steps of the temple as fast as he could.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Karin squealed as she followed behind Kenta.

Ryuu and Naruto glanced at each other with wide grins before following behind them.

After setting down a crate on top of a scroll that was on the floor, Naruto gave a firm nod and Karin went through the handsigns to seal the crates.

"Fuin: level five storage!" She yelled as she let her chakra activate the seal. They all watched as the crate vanished.

"Is that all?" Ryuu asked and Kenta nodded. "We only needed to restock that much. Umi-Nee says all of the other scrolls are filled up." Kenta shrugged as he lifted a stick in the air and swung it around.

"Kenta don't swing that 'round. You'll poke someone's eye out." Naruto scolded as he rolled the scroll up and tied the scroll it.

"We still have training. And I'm not planning on losing against my taijutsu partner. So let's go." Naruto stated as he placed the scroll in a bag and took it back to the temple.

"Karin get the kunai out and yall start warming up." Naruto called out as he hurried up the steps and dropped the bag by the door.

Karin rolled her eyes and led everyone to the training ground.

"So the Official Leaf style is what we are working on?" Ryuu asked as he bent down and started to stretch his muscle.

"Yup. But everyone in my class is already on the 5th kata. And I'm barely getting the 1st and 2nd ones right." Karin huffed in annoyance as she settled down in a punching stance and hit one of the training posts.

"Only clan kids know what they're doing in my class." Kenta shrugs as he starts to warm up with a few high kicks.

"Hmph, Well I'm not as far behind as you are." Ryuu glances over at Karin as she hits the training post with all her strength.

"They're not that hard after a while. I've been getting better at mine." Naruto says as he walks into the field.

"Let's do some punches and high kicks as warm ups." He shrugs and the other three give firm nods.

Nanami huffs as she watched her older siblings practicing in the back yard. All of them were going through some Katas and were doing a few mock spats.

"Why can't I go to the academy." She whined loudly glancing over to see if Mizuko could hear her.

Mizuko lifts both brows and glances at Nanami. "You'll start next spring. That's only a few months away you know." Mizuko says and Nanami pouts even more.

"Yeah but why can't I go now." She mumbles as she dramatically laid back on the floor.

Hayami seeing her sister sprawled out on the floor quickly runs over to her and plops down on Nanami's stomach. "Squish!" She squeals excitedly.

Nanami groaned slightly as her air was knocked out of her.

"Yamyam!" She smiles as she lifts her sister up and blows a raspberry on her stomach.

Hayami giggles and squirms as Nanami begins to tickle her.

Kaida looks over from where she was playing and quickly begins to crawl towards them while giggling loudly.

"Mizuko-sama. I'm making some tea, would you like some?" Umi asks from the doorway.

Mizuko nods absentmindedly as she watches the girls laugh and play by the sliding doors.

It isn't long before Umi comes in carefully balancing the tea set and tea kettle.

Mizuko slightly glances at her as she sets down everything on the table and begins to pour the tea.

"Mizuko-sama, I have a few questions." Umi mumbles as she sets down the tea cup.

Mizuko turns to her and nods as she carefully picks up the tea cup and gently blows on the hot tea.

"There's alot of rumors going on, is it true that you aren't married?" She asks and Mizuko cocks a brow.

"I've never been married before. Should I be?" She asks and Umi blushes slightly.

"Well they always say that a good upstanding woman needs to get married and take the Husbands name. When I'm older I want to be married, although I don't have parents so I won't be able to have an arranged marriage like other girls." She says with a slight shrug.

"You're too young to be thinking about that kind of stuff. Sure having a boyfriend or husband sounds nice, but at the end of the day it isn't all it made up to be." Mizuko says as she thought about the housewives she'd seen throughout the village.

Mizuko closed her eyes for a moment and thought. She couldn't help but dislike the thought of arranged marriages and having to be married off at a young age.

She had noticed that amongst the civilian, wives usually followed and did everything their husbands told them too. The only exception she had been seeing was with the Kunoichi who did whatever they wanted.

"Wait until your at least seventeen or even eighteen. I think I heard somewhere that mens brains don't finish developing until they're like 25 or something. Womens finish developing at around 21. Also your body is also still growing, that's why so many women have issues with their pregnancies you know." Mizuko states with a sharp nod.

"Wait, what?" Umi couldn't help but be confused.

"You aren't finished growing until your at least 21. Sure here in the village your considered independent at 12 and all but that's because most kids try and become ninja. Why do you think the drinking age is 18. At least then your nearly all grown up." Mizuko adds as she sips her tea.

"Mizuko-sama aren't you like fifteen?" Umi asks confused and Mizuko gives her a sad look.

"Well I had little choice in many matters. I had my first kid when I was your age. I don't regret it... but it wasn't easy or by choice." She says as she glanced over to the kids wrestling on the floor. At some point Yukio and Hisashi had joined in.

"Was it hard? I mean having a baby. Did you know the father?" Umi asked in a near whisper.

Mizuko sighed and set down her tea cup as she thought back to it.

"I didn't... I don't know the father. Nor was it by choice. I was... it was in captivity and it was very hard. Very hard times as well." She sighs as she looks down at her tea cup.

"I try not to think about it. There's no point in making a big deal about it. Women are worth more than their abilities to have kids or being the wife of some man. We think, we are intelligent and we can do almost everything a man can do and at times we can do it better." Mizuko says with a resolute nod.

Umi looks at her and nods. "I'm sure you have dreams. You can be anything you want to be." Mizuko says with a kind smile as she places her hand on Umi's shoulder.

Umi seemed to perk up at this. "I want to play the pipa. Someday I'll be famous for it." She says blushing as she looked down at the tea and nodded.

"That's the spirit Umi-chan." Mizuko grins as she pats Umi's shoulder.

It wasn't long before September came around and Mizuko's birthday was just around the corner.

Naruto was excited, usually Mizuko had taken to taking everybody out to eat when it was someone's birthday.

This time around though it was Mizuko's and Naruto wanted to make it memorable. She was his mom now and ever since he had been with his new family he was happy. In a few months it would be a full year since he moved to the Uzumaki temple.

"So what are we going to do? Ryuu asked as he kicked a pebble down the street.

"Well, she really liked that new fall kimono that came out. You know the one with the pretty orange and that pretty design." Karin stated as they walked back home from the academy.

"Where would we get the money to get that? It's made from silk that was imported from suna it's got to be at least a few hundred ryo." Kenta stated as he looked over at the other three.

"He's got a point where would we get the money? Besides you know ma is pretty frugal and doesn't like to spend money." Ryuu points out and Karin smirks as she glances at Kenta.

"What ever you are thinking... no." Naruto states narrowing his eyes at Karin.

"We could like sell some seals at the academy... nothing dangerous. Maybe a sealing scroll." Kenta whispers and Ryuu frowns.

"Absolutely not. Only mom is allowed to sell seals like that. And we could get in ALOT of trouble. Like we could go to jail or something." Ryuu states as he glares at both Karin and Kenta.

"We could go ask Naruto's God father. If we beg hard enough he might do it." Karin pipes up.

"Yeah, no. The old pervert is cheap. That is unless we ask Jiji or Pervy Sage if we can run some errands for them and they pay us." Naruto says as he crosses his arms.

"He might ask us to babysit Konohamaru." Karin pipes up.

"I like Konohamaru, hes pretty chill." Kenta shrugs.

"Or we can beg... that might work. Jiji might give us free money." Karin grins and Naruto sighs.

"I doubt it. But let's to the tower and ask." He says as he takes the lead and takes them to the Hokage tower.

"Please Jiji! We need the cash!" Karin begs while letting her eyes swell up with tears.

The boys were also asking and the old Hokage let out a long sigh as he looked over the small kids. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic, he could remember Kushina acting out like they were at certain times.

"Money is not just something given. Its earned. You know the Sarutobi gardens need to be tended to and Konohamaru needs a babysitter for the weekend." Sarutobi stated cocking a brow as all four kids perked up.

"Consider it done old man! We are always helping ma with the fields at home!" Naruto grinned.

"And we don't have class on the weekends! We can watch Konohamaru!" Karin squealed as she bounced up and down.

"Are you sure you four can handle it? You do have the academy and your chores." The old man cocked a brow.

The four of them glanced at each other and nodded.

"You bet! We can get our normal chores and the gardens done at the sarutobi estate!" Naruto nodded excitedly.

Hiruzen nodded as he puffed on his pipe. "Theres our gardener. He'll tell you everything you need to do. You'll have to meet up with him after class." He says placing a scroll down.

"Show him this and he'll get you started." He says and Ryuu eagerly picks up the scroll. "Thanks Jiji." He grins and bows.

"Yeah! Thanks old man!" Kenta nods as he bows.

"The four of you will have to be there. Since it requires four people to do the job." The aged Hokage adds and the four kids glance at each other nervously.

"You can count on us." Karin stammers out before the four of them scrambled out of the room.

"The four of us?! We won't be able to do our chores and the Sarutobi estate." Kenta panicked as they were out the door.

"Yeah, we still have homework, dinner and practice after school and mom wants us studying seals at 7 till bedtime." Ryuu added as they all looked over at each other.

"Well, we made a promise and we have to keep it. And it's not like we can't rope Nanami and Fumiko into this." Naruto says and they all perk up.

"Its still alot." Karin mumbled as she played with the hem of her kimono shirt.

"They'll help. 'sides it's for moms birthday. They won't have a gift either." Kenta says and they all hurry back home.

"We're home!" Naruto yelled as they all walked in. He slipped off his shoes and bowed at the shrine that was by the door.

"Nii-chan!" Hayami squealed as she ran out and jumped on the closest person.

"It's you!" She hugged Ryuu as he caught her and lifted her up.

"Heya yamyam!" He laughs as he kisses her cheeks.

"Wheres Yukio? He always greets us?" Karin asks as she looks around.

"Yuki takin wash wash." She smiles as she wiggles around in Ryuus grasp.

"Oh. That makes sense." Kenta shrugs as he tosses his sandals and hurries inside.

"I'll get Nanami and Fumiko. We will meet in the passage way by back rooms." He says as he runs off to find his younger sisters.

"Ma! What's for dinner!" Karin yells out.

"We are having green curry with rice and pork chops. It'll be ready in a bit! Do your homework first though!" Mizuko yells out from the kitchen.

"Kay!" Karin yells out as they all hurry to the dining room to set down their school supplies.

All three of them kept an eye out for Umi and Mizuko who were in the kitchen before scurrying to the passage way that was by the hallway.

They all hurried in and through the passage ways. "Naruto hurry up!" Karin groans and Naruto rolls his eyes.

"I'm moving, geesh." He grumbles as they move along the small hall.

"Over here." Naruto hurries up as he hears Nanami.

"So what's up." She says as she sat cross cross on the floor at a small clearing.

"So we have a plan. For moms birthday." Karin grins and both Fumiko and Nanami pipe up.

"We're listening." She says as they all plop down.

"Okay so here it goes. Ya know that one kimono that just came out for fall fashion?" Naruto asks and Fumiko pales.

"It was marked at 782 ryo." Fumiko stammers out.

"Yeah, where the hell you gunna get that much money. That's almost two weeks of work." Nanami points out as she looks at her four older siblings.

"Yeah, but we went to talk to Jiji and he says we can make some ryo by working at the Sarutobi Gardens." Karin says.

"Anndd! We can babysit Konohamaru for two weekends." Kenta adds.

"Okay, so we aren't stealing the money from law abiding citizens or starting a black market for storage seals? Wack." Nanami huffed and Ryuu smacked her arm.

"Course we ain't. That's like illegal ya idiot." He huffs in annoyance.

"Just sayin." Nanami whimpers and she rubs her arm.

Fumiko twiddles her fingers. "So what do you need from us?" She asks shyly.

"We can do it, but we won't have time to do all of our chores without ma noticing. So we were wondering if you and Nanami could help us cut the branches for the sealing paper and pick the fruits for the next two weeks." Ryuu stated and Nanami blanched.

"Its alot of work. It usually takes all six of us to get it done in the afternoons." She says and Karin huffed.

"You'll have all day to do it. Ma will be at home making seals." Karin tries to play it off.

"We have to help make seals too. Especially Fumiko since she's really good." Nanami says.

"We can do it. You guys will be gone most afternoons right?" Fumiko asks and the four of them nod.

"Yeah, it's a two week job with the old man and he said the four of us needed to be there." Kenta shrugged.

"I guess we can pick up your slack." Nanami huffs. "But we have to place the order now if we want it to get done." She adds as an after thought.

"Place the order now. Maybe we won't need a down payment." Fumiko says and they all glanced at each other.

"Fumiko and I can go scout out the shop. I'll see if we can get the order placed. You four get the money. " Nanami nods and they all continue to plan on how they would trick Mizuko from noticing that they were wandering off.

The next day the four kids were at the Sarutobi estate with a scroll in hand.

"So you are the brats the esteemed Lord Third sent?" The gardener asks cocking a brow.

"Ain't ya a little young to be genin?" He asks and the four of them blanche. "We are still in the academy but we are almost out and we do alot of outside work for our ma." Naruto stammers out and the man cocks a brow.

"Mom has a merchant stand in the village. We want to buy her a fancy Kimono so we're working for Ji- I mean Lord Third." Ryuu says with a polite smile.

"Well you have the scroll as the Hokage sent you. Anyways, you need to weed out those patches over there. I'll show you what to pick out." The man waves off his concern and get them started on the garden.

They were tired by the time they got home. Nanami and Fumiko didn't look much better. It was about 6 in the afternoon before they got home.

"We got all y'alls chores done. It took us almost 5 hours." Nanami groaned. Usually it took an hour or so because it was all six of them working on one task.

"Sorry about that, we ended up cleaning one of the six Koi ponds. Why do they need six!" Kenta groaned. He was tired from carrying buckets full of water.

"Y'all smell." Fumiko wrinkled her nose at them and Naruto laughed.

"We must smell like fish." He giggled.

"Yeah you do. Go take a shower ya nasty." Nanami grinned at them as they hurried to take a shower.

"This Sucks! Who's idea was this?!" Karin groans as she carrys a bucket full of dark smelly water.

"Probably yours!" Naruto calls out from the pond as he scoops another bucket out and hands it to Kenta.

"We are NEVER getting Koi pond at the temple! I hate this!" She snaps in anger as her hair fell into the bucket.

"We are almost done with this one and then we have like five more. It's only our second day." Ryuu huffs as he takes a bucket from Kenta and starts walking to the place they were dumping out at.

"Yeah, and we are almost done. Once it's done we just scrub it, put clean water and return the koi." Kenta shrugs.

"And Nanami said she was able to secure the order. The lady is using the measurements from the last time we went." Naruto pointed out as he picked up another empty bucket and passed this one to Karin while she sat an empty one down.

"I guess. But do we have to train while smelling like this?" She asked and Naruto sweatdropped.

"Man, you know how tired I am from sealing all the crates." Nanami grumbled as she soaked in the hot water.

"Yeah, well at least it wasn't smelly." Karin snapped as she jumped into the water.

" My whole body hurts. And we are suppose to do this for another twelve days?" Fumiko asked with a small groan.

"Nah, we don't work week ends and Konohamaru is coming over." Karin shrugged as she sunk into the warm water.

"390, 391. That should be enough to cover the first half." Naruto nods as he hold up the small bag full of ryo.

"So let's pay off the deposit. The lady only gave us a week or she's canceling the order."Nanami stated as she poked Naruto's side.

"Ouch." He grumbles as he rubs his side.

"I'll tell mom we are going out to play." Karin smiles as she scrambles down the hall. "Meet me at the front of the temple." She calls out loudly as she hurries off.

" Let's wait up front." Ryuu nods as they all followed behind him.

Mizuko didn't mind letting them wonder off as long as they stayed together and came home before sundown.

Karin quickly hurried out to meet her siblings outside.

They were standing by the massive red tora gates at the entrance of the temple.

There were also two massive stone lanterns by the entrance where everybody was standing.

"Let's go!" She grins and they all hurried down the steps.

"Now that I think about it. How did you convince the lady to put in the order without a down payment?" Ryuu asked as they made it down all of the stairs.

Nanami smiled widely and giggled. "I can be very convincing if I have to be." She says with a smirk as they start to walk down the road.

Soon enough they passed the Hyuga compound and then the akimichi compound.

"So which seamstress did you guys pick?" Karin asked as they walked down the street.

"The one that has the same name as Grandma." Fumiko says.

"Oh, Riku-San right? She was really nice to us last time we were there." Naruto pointed out and Nanami nodded.

"Hence why I picked her." Nanami grinned

"So this is the deposit. We would also like a receipt." Nanami grinned happily as she set down the money.

"Of course. Also the kimono is almost done. A few more days and it will be ready for pick up." She says as she takes the bag and starts to count the money.

"Its made with this fabric?" Karin asked as she looked at the new fall fabrics.

"Its pretty, ain't it." Fumiko smiled.

Naruto nodded. "It is, I hope mom likes it." He grinned as Riku handed Nanami the receipt.

"Alright. Part one, is done now we have half more." She grins holding up the receipt.

Naruto felt tired. They had just finished the last Koi pond.

There were just three more days left.

They had gotten most of the money.

He knew that by the time they got home it would be to take a bath, have dinner, study and sleep. But they were all proud of themselves.

"Alright, so we only have to weed the front gardens and we should be finished." He grinned as he turned to his three other siblings.

"I never want to see another Koi pound." Kenta groaned as he was trying to catch his breath.

"Kenta! Put your back into it!" Konohamaru yelled from the porch. "Konohamaru you brat! Why don't you come out here and try working for once!" Kenta yelled back as he waved his fist at Konohamaru.

"He thinks that cause he's a year younger than me, I won't climb those stairs and smack him. He's so wrong! I'm Uzumaki Kenta!" Kenta snarled playfully.

"Your lucky the maid doesn't let me up there!" Kenta added while Konohamaru laughed.

"Yeah right! I'm taller than you so good luck reaching up to my face shorty." Konohamaru laughed as he stuck his tongue out.

"What! You're only like 5cm taller! And I bet it was your shoes! I ain't short " Kenta yelled his face turning red.

"Stop yelling. Your gonna get us in trouble." Ryuu hit Kentas arm.

"Ouch!" Kenta exclaimed and Konohamaru laughed even louder.

Naruto couldn't help but grin at Kenta and Konohamaru's playful banter.

"Well, let's just go home for today and start on the front gardens tomorrow." Ryuu stated as he patted himself making sure to get most of the dirt off his clothes.

Naruto hums and nods at Ryuu's comment.

"Tomorrow is moms birthday! If the raining doesn't stop we won't finish the garden and we won't have enough to pay for the kimono!" Nanami half yells as they were all crowded into one of the many secret halls of the temple

"We've been lucky that she's been distracted with Anko-sans seal and the new scrolls shes run into. But that won't last long." Ryuu states calmly as he tugged on one of his braids.

"Hopefully tomorrow it doesn't rain. Otherwise, we won't be able to pay in time." Fumiko meekly stated as she fiddled with her fingers.

"We will get it done! Don't start giving up now." Naruto says encouragingly. His younger siblings slowly nodded although they weren't as optimistic anymore.

"Nii-chan. Ojisan sage is here." Tadashi crawled in as he flashed them a smile.

The six of them glanced at each other and grinned. "Let's rob the old perv!" Kenta and Nanami grinned mischievously and Karin smacked them both upside the head.

"Or we can ask him to help us out. I swear you two are too troublesome!" Karin hissed angrily as steam seemed to come from her mouth.

Both of them rubbed their head. "You're a brute karin." Kenta groaned making Karin bristle.

"Tch! What did you say ya shrimp?!" She hissed out and Ryuu pulled them apart.

"Not the time or place." He sighed as he played peace keeper.

Naruto rolled his eyes, the three of them either got along really well or were a disaster when they were together.

"Let's go." He hurried out of the passageway and opened the closest door.

Jiraiya cocked a brow as a panel on the wall moved and Naruto crawled out of the wall.

"Are you telling me there are passageways in the walls?" Jiraya deadpanned as Naruto grinned.

"Hmm maybe." He shrugs as he stands up and quickly launches himself towards Jiraiya and hugs him.

"So what have you little crotch goblins been up to?" He asks as the rest of them hurried over and joined in giving the older sage a hug.

Nanami was about to respond but Ryuu elbowed her to shut up.

"We have a plan. Can you help us?" Ryuu asked as they all pulled away and Jiraiya chuckled.

"What are you planning?" He asks and Naruto grins.

"Its mom's birthday tomorrow. We gathered 636 ryo to buy her a gift. But with the rain, we haven't been able to work for the remaining 146 ryo. Can ya help us?" Naruto asked giving him the puppy dog eyes.

Jiraiya hummed. "Hmm, I wonder if I can." He teased and Nanami sighed.

"I told you we should have beat him up and taken his money when he wasn't looking." She huffed and Kenta nodded.

"Bah, stop that you wanna be delinquents." Karin snapped as she smacked them both upside the head.

Jiraya stared at them before laughing.

"Well if it's just 146 Ryo I might have the spare change. But I want to see all of your report cards. I can't be giving out money to you kids if you aren't doing your best in school." He says and they all grin.

"Wait here!" They all scurry off to get their report cards.

Jiraya chuckled as he leaned down and picked up Kaida who had crawled over to him.

"Well, kid I guess it's just us two." He sighed as he walked to the kitchen as he easily dragged Tadashi and Yukio along with him. They were both latching on to his legs and giggling.

Before Jiraya could even make it to the dining room Hisashi launched himself from the side and clung onto Jiraya. "Ojisan!"

Umi stared at the legendary Sanin in awe.

"Jiraiya-sama! I hadn't expected you to be here. Would you like something to eat?" She asks as she gently placed a hand on Umi's shoulder.

"Go ahead and get a pot of tea ready." She says and the younger girl nods.

"Well, I was just around so I figured I'd visit the brats." He grins as he placed a hand on top of Naruto's head.

"I see, well I have something I'd like to show you." She eagerly says as she began to pick up the scrolls she had been using to study.

"Is it a seal?" He asks and Mizuko nods.

"I had a request to get this seal removed from one of the tokubetsu Jonin. I get the mechanics but there is something about it that I cannot get right." She rambles as she seals away the work.

"I'll be right back with it. Umi-chan will serve the tea so make yourself comfortable." Mizuko stated as she hurried out of the room.

As she left everyone was shoving their report cards into the sanins hands.

Jiraya grabbed the four report cards and looked over them.

'So he has improved. Comparing this to all of his previous years he's doing great. And the younger ones are definitely talented as well.' He thought to himself as Naruto had A's and B's. The other kids also had high grades being that they always studied together.

"Wait is mom going to show you the seal?!" Karin asked as she looked over at Jiraiya.

He simply shrugged. "She mentioned she'd show me one." He stated and both Fumiko and Karin glanced at each other as they ran off to go grab their notes.

Everyone else looked q bit excited. "They're pretty obsessed with it ain't they." Ryuu sweatdropped as the two girls ran off.

Jiraiya cocked a brow but instead of replying he dug into his pouch and pulled out a wallet.

"Here." He says handing Naruto 200 ryo. "Get a cake or something as well with the remaining money." He says and Naruto eagerly took the money.

"Thanks! Ryuu, Kenta let's go. Ojisan, tell mom we went out." Naruto quickly said as the three boys rushed out of the room to get their raincoats and umbrellas to go out.

"Sorry for the wait." Umi stated as she walked in and set the teapot and teacups down.

"Haven't met you before. Do you work with Mizuko?" Jiraiya asked and the girl nodded.

"Yes, I work at the produce stand for Mizuko-sama. But for the most part, I'm a retainer for the clan." Umi bows and Jiraiya looks over at her in amusement.

"So you are looking to be a servant of the Uzumaki clan?" He asks and the girl nods.

"Mizuko-sama took me in, it's only fair that I pledge loyalty to the clan." She says and Jiraiya nods slowly.

Although it was mostly done by civilian aristocrats clans or older shinobi clans, someone would be taken into the clan and the person would swear their loyalty to the clan. Although for shinobi clans they swore loyalty to both the village and clan.

"I didn't know Mizuko was taking in retainers already since they haven't been here as long." Jiraiya pointed out and the girl smiled.

"Mizuko-sama has earned my loyalty and I am very grateful to her." She says as she pours the tea.

Mizuko stumbled in carrying a large scroll and a few smaller ones. She was also balancing a few ink bottles and sealing supplies.

"So very recently I had a woman come in trying to remove a seal that was on her neck. The seal itself is.." she trailed off as she opened the large scroll.

"Its an atrocity! It sucks and whoever's made it should be ashamed of it!" Karin yells out as she also hurries into the room holding a few scrolls and notebooks.

After saying that they both had Jiraiya's attention. The only person he knew that had a seal on their neck and that needed it removed was Anko Mitarashi. That seal had been placed there by Orochimaru.

"Karin, mind your language." Mizuko warned knowing that Orochimaru had once been the teammate of Jiraiya.

Both Fumiko and Karin sat down at the table.

"The curse mark?" Jiraiya asked, his face became stern and his usually playful antics gone.

Mizuko meekly nodded as she showed him the opened version of the curse mark.

"It's taken a few weeks but we have broken the seal down. But I'm having issues with this part. The chakra here isn't normal. Here, here and here are filters that limit the chakra gathered by this part. These overhear store the chakra gathered and send it through the user's body. This part here would be where Orochimaru stored his own chakra." Mizuko states as she points at the seal.

Jiraiya nods and glances at Umi and Mizuko nods.

"Umi-chan if you could wait outside. These will be private discussions. Please watch over the younger kids. They are on the porch." She says and the girl blushes and bows deeply before leaving the room.

Jiraiya glances at Fumiko and Karin. "They should be fine. They helped in working through the seal." Mizuko points out and Jiraiya lets's out a long sigh.

"I have tried to unravel the seal and its functions but it is above my skill level." He says as he looked down at the seal.

Mizuko shakes her head. "It's not even complicated. You are about a level 4 or 5 correct?" She asks and Jiraiya nodded.

"It is not that you don't understand it, because you do. You just can't fathom why it's set up like this. You mistakenly think this is a higher level when in reality it is a lower level. It doesn't make sense because it's badly crafted." Mizuko points out and Jiraiya stares at her for a moment.

"For example the spacing here and the way the seal comes together in these five areas. It's improper and wrong. It's unstable and you can tell." Mizuko began explaining.

Jiraiya furrowed his brow and looked over the seal.

For the next few hours, the four of them were going over notes and bantering about the possibilities of the seal.

At first, jiraiya seemed to be against the kids even knowing the seal and it made him slightly paranoid that any of them could remake the seal and make it work properly.

By the time Naruto, Kenta, and Ryuu came back they were dragged into listening in and learning from what Mizuko went over.

Even Jiraiya learned a bit from the seal review on what NOT to do.

The next day everyone woke Mizuko up by singing happy birthday to her.

Since it was a Wednesday they all helped her and Umi make breakfast and hurried off to school.

Mizuko couldn't keep the smile off her face as she worked on the seals.

Kaida was busy trying to learn how to walk.

And both Yukio and Hisashi were playing with a large blue ball.

Hayami and Tadashi were busy playing in the passageways that were hidden in the temple.

Mizuko made sure to try and keep an eye on everyone as she, later on, started to cook a hearty lunch.

The kids would usually stay close to her and at times she had to scold them when they played too rough, especially with Kaida who was only 10 months old.

Soon enough Umi arrived. "I'm home." She called out and Hayami and Hisashi ran out of the room to greet her. Tadashi picked up Kaida helping her walk as he led her over to the front door to greet Umi.

"I'm in the kitchen! Lunch is ready." Mizuko called out as she began serving rice and soup for the kids.

"Mizuko-sama, happy birthday." Umi walked in carrying Kaida.

She set the girl down and held out a small box. Mizuko wiped her hands on her apron and picked up the small box.

A small hairpin was inside the box. It seemed to be made of gold and the water lilies that were crafted by small Crystal's and crochet.

"Thank you." Mizuko's eyes widened as she placed the gift down and pulled the girl into a hug.

"Your welcome Mizuko-sama." The younger girl smiled.

"Ryuu is carrying the cake and I'm taking the kimono." Naruto stated as he narrowed his eyes at Karin and Kenta.

"But I want to carry the Kimono." Kenta huffed.

"You two fight too much and you'll drop it." Ryuu stated as he agreed with Naruto.

The other two just pouted as they followed behind Naruto as they hurried back home.

"They're here!" Fumiko yelled and Nanami hurried down the steps of the temple.

"You guys are finally here. Look who we picked up!"Nanami squealed as she pointed at Konohamaru who gave them a bright smile.

"We snuck away from my genin babysitters!" He grinned and Kenta laughed.

"Great! Wait did we invite Jiji?!" He stops and they all stare at each other.

"We invited Ojisan when he was here yesterday." Naruto pointed out and they all kind of glanced at each other.

"We can save him a piece of cake." Karin points out as they started to climb the stairs and they all nodded.

"Anyway, what have you three been up to while we were at school?" Ryuu asks and the three of them grinned.

"We played at the Sarutobi estate and then went to the park." Nanami stated as they reached the top of the stairs.

Mizuko was smiling and tears brimmed her eyes as she gave everyone a hug.

" You guys are so thoughtful." She says as she places the gift on her lap and starts to open it.

"That's..." Umi trailed off her eyes widening at the beautiful orange colored kimono.

"The silk is beautiful!" Umi exclaimed as she looked at it and touched the fabric.

"I hope I'm not too late for the celebrations." Jiraiya called out from the doorway as he removed his sandals and held up a gift.

"Ojisan!" Yukio squealed as he went to give Jiraiya a hug.

"Jiraiya-sama." Both Umi and Mizuko bowed.

Soon enough they ate dinner and cut the cake making sure to save a piece for the Hokage.

Sorry for the late update.

I had authors block. After naruto's birthday ,I feel like I can speed up the story again.

Since after Naruto's birthday they will finally be out of probation and full-fledged Konoha citizens. Mizuko will join the council after that I might do a time skip.

I also want to wait off making Mizuko a level 12 seal master and I want to incorporate the masks a bit more.

Jiraiya will also learn a bit more sealing

Umi is NOT a character available for shipping. She sees Mizuko as a mentor and older sister and Mizuko sees her like a younger sister!

Rosymalik/rosyhatake


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Clan Head

Third Person POV_

"Hurry inside. Oh, look at you soaked down to the bone." Mizuko huffed as her four eldest grinned up at her.

"It started raining earlier. Most kids also ran through the village after class." Ryuu pointed out as he shook his head to get the excess water out.

"Well.." Mizuko trailed off as she grabbed a few towels and started to try and dry them.

"Take off your clothes and leave them by the door. I'll get a warm bath running for you and then I'll come to pick up the laundry." Mizuko sighed as she glanced out the window.

There was the soft howling of the wind and rainfall outside. She could see some lightening and hear soft thunder rumbling as well.

"Umi, can you please watch Kaida while I go get the kids situated?" Mizuko called out to Umi who was in the other room.

"I can watch her Mizuko-sama." The girl smiled as she came in from her bedroom.

"Hey there Kai-chan." Umi smiled as she sat down by Kaida who was sitting up and chewing one of her teething toys.

Mizuko hurried down the hall and quickly started to fill the large tub and set down four large towels.

As she was walking out Kenta rushed passed her. "Thanks for starting the tub ma." He squealed as Ryuu and Naruto ran past her as well.

"I'm getting the large stool!" Naruto yells as he hurries past Mizuko to take a bath.

"Tch, boys." Karin grumbles as she walks by in her underwear and into the large communal baths that were in the temple.

Mizuko giggles slightly and shakes her head. "They're all trouble makers." She mumbles to herself.

"Mama, Fumiko-nee says the storm might get louder. Is that true?" Hisashi asks as he walks up to her and tugs on her kimono. His bottom lip quivered slightly, being that he was the most sensitive of her children Mizuko's was always more careful of him.

"It might, but it's okay cause we will all be here together. So don't you worry your pretty little head over it." She gently says as she ruffles his short red spikey hair.

Hisashi nods as he wipes the tears out of his golden hazel colored eyes.

"Here, you can walk around with me. Mama needs help, And she's got to pick up all of your older sibling's laundry and I think a strong, brave, kid like you could help me. Hmm?" She smiled down at him.

He smiled back softly and nodded as he hugged her. "I can help clean up." He grinned.

"Well then, come on. It's over here." Mizuko says as Hisashi followed right behind her.

Mizuko quickly picked up the laundry with Hisashi's help.  
_

"Get ready, set, go!" Kenta yelled as he jumped back.

Naruto blocked a left hook punch. His eyes were trained on his younger brother as he blocked another strike.

Ryuu and Naruto were sparing in the training field Mizuko had built on the temple grounds. As they spared Kenta and Karin watched over them.

Kenta was sitting on top of one of the training posts and Karin was leaning slightly on a wooden stump.

Ryuu grunted as he tried to find an opening on his older brother's defense. They were currently practicing a different Taijutsu style.

Ryuu was trying to stay on the offensive, the reason was that his academy teacher had noted that he always defaulted to blocking and dodging his opponents, so he suggested that he should practice taking a more offensive stance in spars so that he could be well rounded.

Naruto, on the other hand, was better at the Taijutsu than Ryuu and could adapt easier. He had also been training longer than his younger brother, and he had a weight and height advantage.

So Naruto rarely struck out and practiced his blocks and dodges. Since he was stronger than his brother and sturdier he was able to take more hits.

Compared to Naruto's classmates who had been training just as long as he had been and some were predominantly from high standing clans or high ranking shinobi, Ryuu's hits barely hurt.

So unlike the spars he had in the academy, he could practice the blocks and his postures while blocking without it hurting as much.

So both boys were getting something out of the spar itself.

Kenta was watching both Naruto and Ryuu's form and Karin was the referee.

She was there to make sure neither of them went too far and hurt themselves.

Naruto moves back as he tried dodging. It was hard to keep track of his surroundings while watching Ryuu try to hit him.

"You're getting to close to that post." Karin called out as she tried to get a better look at them.

"Let'em hit it. It might take one of them out of the fight." Kenta shrugged and Karin sighed.

"If Ryuu punches it then he'll hurt his hand and Naruto could accidentally run into it while trying to dodge." Karin crosses her arms, her eyes never leaving the two who were fighting.

Kenta hummed but said nothing as he continued watching the fight.

Naruto kept blocking and dodging, he started to notice that Ryuu was starting to pant and that his hits were getting lighter.

"Watch you're breathing or you won't be able to last." Naruto stated as he stepped back to dodge an uppercut.

Ryuu groaned as he took in a deep breath since he had less training, he ran out of breath quicker and that although he had large chakra reserves, Naruto's were much bigger.

"Pause!" Karin called out and both boys jumped back.

Ryuu heaved as he bent down and placed his hands on his knees. He was out of breath and drained from being on the offensive for so long.

Naruto was only slightly winded, his breathing was a bit deeper but otherwise, he looked perfectly fine.

Naruto grinned as he wiped off the side of his mouth.

"That was really good Ryuu, your punches are getting better." He added as he placed his hands on his hips and took a really deep breath.

"You looked to be struggling at the beginning but it looks like you got more confident the longer you fought," Karin stated as she walked over to them.

Ryuu grinned and straightened up, he couldn't help but feel proud. At the beginning of the school year, he had trouble sparring with the kids in his class because they all had one more year of training under their belts.

Before he lived in Konoha they barely ran around and were cooped up inside of their house. Things were dull and everyone spoke in quiet whispers. They never talked with anyone but each other and they had to deal with the shinobi and doctors.

So in terms of physical strength and knowledge of the Taijutsu forms caused him to be one of the lower-ranking fighters in the class. And it upset him so he made sure to drag his older brother outside and get some training in.

Because he was weaker he was always put on the defensive when fighting with his classmates. So in order to get better, he asked Naruto to let him practice his attack on him.

When he'd asked Naruto thought about it for a moment before shrugging and nodding. And then he'd said "Well if you want to attack me that's fine, but let me practice my blocks and dodges. My classmates hit way too hard, and I'd like to practice my forms." And when Ryuu had agreed, they just went ahead and began sparing.

"Yeah, I'm getting the hang of it now. Sensei says that my Taijutsu is getting better. I also started to go up in class ranking." Ryuu grinned widely as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

Karin nods at his statement, she was also having problems with the Taijutsu class, since she was also a few years behind.

"Mom says dinner is almost ready! She says clean up and come eat!" Nanami yelled as she walked into the clearing.

All four of them turned to look at her.

"Tell her we will be there in a minute, we still have to take the mulberry branches into the paper shop." Kenta replies as he placed both hands on his hips.

"M'kay!" Nanami replied and slightly sighed, she was completely jealous, she still had almost an entire year before it was her turn to enter the academy. But even with that Mizuko didn't let her train with her older siblings just yet.

She glanced back and pouted as she hurried back inside the house.

"So we are getting a washer and dryer for the temple?" Umi asked excitedly as she placed the plates down on the table.

"Well, the seals bring in a lot of money. More than what I thought they would. I've even have had to limit some of the orders because otherwise we'd be overwhelmed. But with the amount we are making I'm sure we will be fine with buying a washer and dryer. I'm also going to buy more paint so we can paint the west wing of the temple." Mizuko stated as she carried a heavy pot full of food.

"Mama, mama, mama." Hayami tugged on Mizuko's kimono.

"Yes, baby what is it?" She asked as she set the pot down on a mat that was on the table.

"'M hungry." The small toddler pouted and Mizuko sighed.

"We'll eat in a minute." She sighs patting her small daughter's head.

"They said they're coming. They have to drop the branches off first." Nanami huffed as she walked in and plopped down.

"Thank you, honey." Mizuko grins at her Nanami.

"Anyways. We can go tomorrow. It's Saturday, Naruto can take his siblings out to the park. We can pick out one of the newer models." Mizuko grinned excitedly and Umi nodded.

"I've heard that the merchant from the land of snow has the latest ones, and they're big enough that you can wash thick blankets in them without them breaking." Umi added as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"I'll go get the other kids. I think they're in the back rooms playing." Umi says as she hurried out the room.

Mizuko turned to Nanami and frowned slightly as her 6-year-old was pouting. "What's the matter, honey?" She asks and Nanami frowns even more.

"It's not fair, I could've entered this semester. If my birthday had been a bit earlier I would have made it before the cut off day." She says as she twiddles with her fingers.

Mizuko sighs, "During registration, you were still 5 years old. And the year will be over before you know it." Mizuko sighs as she sits Hayami down and starts serving the small toddler food.

Yukio ran in followed by Tadashi. They raced to sit down at the table. "But then why can't I train with them! I'm old enough and can look after myself." She yelled angrily.

"Don't yell at mom." Fumiko snapped as she walked in holding Hisashi's hand.

"Shut up! Unlike you, I want to be a ninja! And it's not fair." Nanami yelled at her sister before standing up and running off.

"Nanami!" Mizuko exclaimed in shock as the small girl ran past her crying loudly.

Even Fumiko and her younger siblings were shocked at Nanami's outburst.

Mizuko pursed her lips and frowned.

"Um Mizuko-sama, are you alright?" Umi asked from the doorway. Mizuko looked disheartened for a moment before sighing. "I'll talk with her." She sighs as she looked down and continued to serve food.

The room was quiet as everyone settled down.

'I know she wants to be a ninja, but is it wrong for me to hold her back? I just want her to safety and away from all of the ninja business. Maybe I'm being too hard on her for telling her to stay inside while her sibling's train.' Mizuko mulled over in her head.

'But, the older kids are in the academy. They get training and know a bit more about what they are doing. Nanami doesn't have that. She wouldn't know for sure if she was doing it right. And she could seriously injure herself.' Mizuko thought with a sigh.

The older kids walked in talking loudly and laughing not noticing the aura of the room.

"So what are we eating today ma?" Kenta grinned as he sat down. "The chicken was on sell so that, rice and veggies." She smiled softly.

Umi couldn't help but feel bad for Mizuko and quickly offered to serve the food in her stead.

"Make a plate for Nanami, I'll leave it in the fridge for her." Mizuko sighed as she let Umi serve the food.

After dinner, chores were assigned to everyone except Yukio, Hayami, and Kaida (who were still too young to really do much). Mizuko left them as she went to find Nanami who probably went to hide after her outburst.

It wasn't hard for Mizuko to track her since she had the seal. She had a hard time squeezing into one of the many hidden entrances. She crawled through the small crawl space. In some places the washi paper walls let light seep into the long narrow halls and it let her see where she was going.

It took a good twenty minutes for Mizuko to find her.

Nanami looked to have been crying and was picking at the floor when she found her.

"There you are. I've been searching for you." Mizuko smiles gently as she crawled into the small opening and sat beside Nanami.

Nanami ducked her head slightly and sniffles.

Mizuko sighed as she placed a hand over Nanami's shoulder.

"You know, your grandparents were ninja." Mizuko started and Nanami looked up slightly and nodded.

"I think, I think at one point I wanted to be a ninja as well. I can use chakra, just like the ninja." Mizuko stayed as she moved a small strand of hair away from Nanami's face.

She frowned as she looked at Nanami's frowning face. "I know you'll make a great ninja ya know. Soon enough all of you will be out exploring the great five nations, running missions, and meeting new people. And I'm going to be here, at the temple waiting for you to come home." She continues as she sighs and looks away.

"I know it might seem like I am stopping you out of spite. But I only want what I think is best for you." Mizuko sighs pulling Nanami close.

The small girl shivered and started to cry. "I didn't mean it. I was... I'm just jealous. I want to do everything Kenta, Naruto, Ryuu, and Karin do." Nanami sniffled as she cried.

"I know, and soon you will. You'll even have your own set of chores just like them. There's no rush in growing up. And with their new training, you'd have a hard time catching up with them. Soon it'll be your turn and your younger siblings will want to follow in your footsteps. There are only a few more months left in this semester. Just give it a bit longer. In the meantime, you could always train with your seals or on your chakra control." Mizuko points out and Nanami nods as she wipes her tears.

"I guess I can." She sniffles as she cuddled her mom. Mizuko couldn't help but giggle as she heard Nanami' s stomach grumble.

"I saved some food for you. It's in the fridge if you're hungry. And I have a few sweets hidden away. And as long as the little ones don't see you, I'll sneak some to you." Mizuko smiles and Nanami grins slightly. "M'kay." She says as she wipes her tears. Mizuko slightly pursed her lips before pulling Nanami close and littering kisses on her cheeks.

"My sweet baby girl is all grown up. Soon you'll be in school and I won't get to spend the day with you anymore." Mizuko pouted as she nuzzled against Nanami.

Nanami puffed her cheeks but giggled and nuzzled against Mizuko. "Don't worry mama. I'm always gonna be your little girl." She giggled out and Mizuko pouted. "I guess. Now come on you need to eat."

With that, they crawled out of the hidden passageway.

"Okay, so we will be taking Kaida. Hayami, Yukio, you want to go with mama or Naruto-nii?" Mizuko asked the two toddlers.

Yukio glanced between Naruto and Mizuko. "Nii-chan." Yukio grinned mischievously as he ran towards Tadashi who gave him a high five.

"Mama." Hayami grinned as she hugged Mizuko's legs.

"I want to go with Mama too," Hisashi says as he hurries over to Mizuko.

"Watch out for Tadashi and Yukio then. We are going shopping." Mizuko says as she smoothed out her cotton kimono.

Naruto pats both of his younger brothers' heads. "Don't worry ma. I'll keep an eye on everyone." Naruto grins.

Mizuko frowns slightly before taking her purse out. "Here, 100 Ryo... better yet 200 ryo, I'm not sure how long the shopping trip will be but you guys can pick a place to eat out and buy all sorts of treats. Make sure to keep the receipts and bring them back to me." She handed the money to Naruto.

"Are you serious?!" Karin asked as she fixed her glasses and looked at the money.

"The Hokage told me Naruto had been handling his own finances for a while now. So I'm sure you'll spend the money wisely. If our shops keep on selling as well, I might be able to budget an allowance for all of you." Mizuko says with a nod.

"An allowance! Really?!" Ryuu asked excitedly.

Mizuko nods firmly. "The seal shop has been a boon! We are no longer struggling to make ends meet, so yes, an allowance."

The older kids chattered amongst themselves in excitement.

"I'll make sure to take care of it. Let me get my wallet before we head out." Naruto grinned as he hurried to the room to get his frog wallet.

All of them looked very excited to go out with spending money.

"Let's go. The playground at Sakura park is across the village. So let's go!" Naruto grinned as he held up his wallet before putting it in his pocket. His seven smaller siblings nodded and they all started rushed out of the temple.

"You kids come right back and put on a haori and some warm clothes! You are not catching a cold!" Mizuko yelled as they were all running out wearing nothing but thin long sleeve shirts and pants.

They all ran right back in and past her into the room.

Mizuko huffed as she slipped on her haori and then wrapped little Kaida in a sling on her back.

"It's about 50 degrees outside (10 Celsius) and it's going to get colder." Mizuko muttered as Umi helped Hayami slip on her coat and bundled her up.

"Get your jacket to Hisashi," Mizuko added and the small boy nodded and hurried to go get his coat.

"Let's go then Mizuko-sama." Umi grinned as she fixed her clothes. Hisashi hurried back wearing his Haori with wave designs and the Uzumaki symbol on the back.

The two women headed out to the shopping district.

Umi ended up stopping by the tailor and buying a few new Kimonos and geta shoes with the money she made in the fruit stand.  
Mizuko only bought a few outfits for the kids and a new obi to go with the silk Kimono that the kids had bought her for her birthday. She was planning to wear it to the council meeting when she was required to go. Since it was a slightly formal event.

They were even able to buy new household appliances for the temple. Dishwasher, washer, and a dryer.

They even bought the smaller kid's snacks and treats while shopping so that they were distracted.

"Mizuko-sama, is it okay if we get a new tea set? The one we have is okay, but it's not good for when we do tea ceremonies." Umi chattered as they walked through the market.

"Oh yeah, you used to work at that tea shop right. We can stop by and get a tea set. The one at home is made of wood and definitely not suitable for serving guests." Mizuko says as she looks around to see if she could spot a china shop.

"Hayami hold Umi-nee's hand. Yukio hold my hand too, Hisashi stays close." Mizuko says. "There's pottery down this way." She adds.

Umi gleams and nods excitedly as she takes Hayami's hand.

"We can buy two sets, one for green tea and a ceremonial tea set. We will probably get it customized." Mizuko grinned as both young women hurried through the busy streets to the pottery shop.  
_

Kenta wobbled as he tried to walk on his hands. "Do it like this Nanami!" He yells.

Nanami glances up as she is eagerly trying to copy her older brother and Karin is holding Fumiko's legs up to help her do a handstand.

"My turn!" Tadashi squealed as Naruto was setting little Yukio down.

The four-year-old boy was stumbling as he tried to keep steady. Naruto laughed as he held his little brother's hand.

"You 'Kay Yuyu-Chan?" He asks and Yukio grins up at him and giggles.

"Me! Me!" Tadashi squeals even louder and Naruto smirks as he grabs his younger brother and lifts him up. Tadashi starts to laugh in excitement as Naruto makes sure to hold on to him tightly and moved away from Yukio.

He quickly spins as he holds on to Tadashi's arms. Tadashi squeals and laughs as his feet leave the ground as he's spun around.

He then abruptly stops and sets Tadashi down.

The younger boy is dizzy and stumbling slightly as he's trying to keep his footing.

"I want to go next!" Ryuu says as he hurries to step close to them.

Tadashi giggles as he lays down, the sky still spinning above him a Naruto quickly tells Ryuu to give him a minute.

All of them are playing in the fields of Sakura Park. Naruto shows off his backflips and the cool tricks he learned in the academy. The younger kids watched in awe and demanded Naruto to teach them how to do it.

Before long they start a game of tag. All of them scattered around the park.

Soon enough they are all panting while playing in the jungle gym. "Nii-Chan 'm hungry." Yukio complains.

Naruto cocks a brow before jumping down. "You want to eat?" He asks his little brother and the small pale boy nods.

"Alright everyone we are eating out!" Naruto yells out and they all cheer and hurry off the jungle gym.

"Where are we going?" Fumiko asks shyly.

Naruto hums for a moment and his eyes go wide. "Ichiraku ramen! Before moving out of my old apartment I used to always go there, Teuichi-San and his daughter Ayame were always really nice to me. And ramen is awesome!" Naruto says with a nod as he picks up Yukio and places the small boy on his back.

"Ramen? Never had it so why not." Kenta shrugs and Ryuu nods.

"I don't mind." Nanami shrugs and Fumiko meekly agrees.

"Let's go then. Tadashi, give me your hand. Naruto lead the way." Karin says and Naruto's grin widens.

All seven Uzumaki leave the park and head out into the town.

Naruto happily leads them to the Ramen stand and tells his siblings how much he likes going there to see the old man and his daughter.

"Teuichi-San!" Naruto calls out.

"Naruto? It's been a while since you came!" Ayame calls out as the boy hurries inside.

"I was starting to think that we wouldn't see our best customer anymore." Teuichi adds as he notices the kids following the blond boy.

"A lot has happened, I got adopted. This is Yukio!" He gestures to the small albino boy on his back.

"Adopted?!" Ayame looks shocked and pleased at the same time.

"Yeah. Go ahead and introduce yourself to Teuichi-Jiji." Naruto says and the kids eagerly hurry in and smile up at the owner and his daughter.  
"I'm Uzumaki Karin!"

"Uzumaki Ryuu pleases to meet you."

"Kenta... Uzumaki Kenta." Kenta grins mischievously.

"I'm Uzumaki Nanami!" Nanami declares happily.

"I'm Uzumaki Fumiko. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Fumiko says meekly.

" 'm Tadashi!" Tadashi grins as he waves excitedly.

"I have a few younger siblings too, but they're too small for me to babysit and one of them wanted to go with my mama." He grins and Teuichi smiles wholeheartedly.

"That's great to hear. I can see why you wouldn't have time to come around as often. Does your new mom cook a lot?" Teuichi asks with a smile.

Naruto pauses for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. She's a really good cook." He says as he sits Yukio down on one of the stools.

"My mom's name is Mizuko Uzumaki Senju. She opened a fruit stand in the market, Umi-nee works there now. And then she opened up a seal shop recently." Naruto stated as he turned to Tadashi and picked him up and sat him in a stool as well.

"I'd want to meet her too. Are you guys eating in?" Ayame asked and naruto nods quickly.

"Well, consider this a congratulations gift from us. First bowl is on the house." Teuichi grins and all seven Uzumaki go wide-eyed and cheer.

"That was great! Your ramen is always the best oji-san." Naruto grins as he rubs his stomach.

Teuichi chuckles, "it seems like the Uzumaki are going to be our top customers."

"Oji-San. This is amazing." Fumiko grinned as she held up her empty bowl. Her eyes were sparkling as she handed it over to Ayame who politely smiled and thanked the girl.

"I'm full! I ate three bowls" Kenta groaned as he handed his bowl to Ayame.

"Well, what do you think?" Naruto asks his sister and Karin grins. "We definitely need to bring mom, but I wonder if we would all fit, there's like twelve of us."

"Eh. We could come as dine out." Ryuu shrugs as he chugs the last bit of the broth.

Naruto quickly nods and looks over at Ayame and Teuichi. "We will come again, my mom said she'll start giving us allowances because the stores are doing really well."

"Really?! Well, that's great! I'm excited to meet your baby siblings. I'm so glad you got adopted. I thought you'd forgotten all about us, but this is even better!" Ayame grinned as she looked at Naruto who had a big smile plastered on his face.

"We should head home. The suns goin down." Ryuu says as he glanced out of the stand and Naruto nods as he takes out the two 100 ryo bills.

Teuichi thanks naruto and quickly totals the amount.

Everyone was getting up and fixing their Haori's.

"75 ryo is your change. I gave everyone a free bowl. So I only charged you for 12 bowls." He says as he hands naruto the change.

All of the kids smiled even wider. "Say thank you to Teuichi-oji and Ayame-nee," Naruto says loudly to his siblings

"Thank you Teuichi-obi! Thank you Ayame-nee! We enjoyed the food!" They all chorused and bowed politely.

Both of them grinned and thanked them for coming.

"Thank!" Yukio squealed as he jumped on Naruto's back.

Naruto made sure to hold onto his younger brother's legs so that he didn't fall and they all said their goodies as they left.

"Can we get Dango?" Fumiko asks as they walked down the street.

"We have 75 ryo left. We can get a 12 pack and split the remaining 5 evenly." Ryuu pointed out and Naruto nodded.

"The Dango stand is down this way." Naruto says as he leads them onward.  
_

Ayame quietly wiped a stray tear. "He looked happier, a lot happier." She mumbles as she wiped down the counter.

"I remember the first time he ate here, he was pretty small and stuck outside in the pouring rain. The Uzumaki clan that moved here, they've been good to him." Teuichi says as he starts getting ready for the dinner rush.

"He's also a lot less mischievous. Did you notice he paces himself? Usually, he can eat five bowls but he limited himself to three bowls so that his younger siblings could get an extra bowl as well." She added as she put the dirty rag in the cleaning bucket.

"One Miso ramen, please." A man stated as he walked in.

"Coming right up." Ayame smiled as she took out a pen and piece of paper.

"What would you like to drink?"  
_

Mizuko made sure that the Hokage and Jiraiya were invited over.

The village was celebrating October 10 to commemorate the Fourth Hokage beating the Nine-tailed fox. But the Uzumaki Senju were celebrating Naruto Uzumaki's birthday.

"I made sure to send the Hokage the letter to let him know we are having a get-together. And we also placed the order for the cake." Umi stayed as she helped Mizuko cut vegetables so that they could cook.

"And we got the tea sets yesterday as well right," Mizuko stated as she stirred the pot of meat and began seasoning it. "We are eating beef today!" She added as she put some salt on the food.

"Mama, I want juice." Hayami groaned as she sat by Mizuko's feet and tugged on her Kimono.

"Kenta! Wait no... Ryuu? Agh, No I meant Tadashi! Get some juice for your sister!" Mizuko yelled out as she put some onions and veggies into the pot.

"Yes, ma'am." Tadashi groaned as he dragged his feet and grabbed a cup and opened the fridge. He had a bit of a hard time carrying the jug of juice.

"Juice!" Hayami squealed as she stood up and ran towards her brother.

"Nanami! Go get the bath ready and undo Hayami and Tadashi's braids! So y'all can take a shower and so I can rebraid their hair before your older siblings get here! Fumiko! Help your sister and undo your hair too!" She called out making sure to say it loudly so that the two older girls could hear hers.

"Okay!" Fumiko called out from the living room and got up to do as she was told.

"M'kay!" Nanami called out from down the hall. Soon enough she came to the kitchen and dragged all of her younger siblings out of the kitchen and to the bathhouse.

"Ooo can we go to the festival today as well? I heard that there's going to be fireworks!" Umi stated as she clasped her hands excitedly. "Of course, by then we will have finished dinner and cake." Mizuko nodded.

"I'm going to go shower, I'll help Nanami and Fumiko. Can you help me try on my Autumn silk Kimono?!" Umi was practically jumping in excitement and Mizuko nodded.

"You won't be able to tie the Obi on the back alone. And you most certainly aren't tying it in the front." Mizuko pointed out.

Umi nodded as she finished chopping the vegetables and hurried to take a shower.

Mizuko sighed in relief as the temple has quieted down. Earlier in the morning, she cleaned up the entire temple and soon enough the older kids would come from the academy.

Due to the 'festival', Mizuko closed down the seal shop. Although she was going to close it anyway due to Naruto's birthday party.

It didn't take long for her to finish cooking. Mizuko made sure to turn the stove off and to place a lid on all of the food before turning on the rice cooker.

She sighed in relief as she went to take a shower. She took her clothes off and hurried into the communal baths.

"Mama, tell Tadashi to let me take out his braids," Nanami grunted as Mizuko walked in.

"I'll do it, just go help Fumiko with her own hair." Mizuko sighed as she took a seat on one of the stools.

"Come here." She says waving her hand toward Tadashi in a 'come here' motion.

Tadashi grinned and hurried to Mizuko. "Ya gonna redo my hair?" He asked and Mizuko nodded as she turned him around and began undoing the braids.

"Yup, it's your Nii-sans birthday today. The Hokage is coming and so is Jiraiya-San. Then we are going to the festival." Mizuko smiled as she gently undid the braids and untangled his curly hair.

"Can I get pigtails again?" Fumiko asked as her hair was half was undone. Half of it looked like a bright red Afro while Nanami undid the rest.

"If that's what you want, we can make two pigtails again. "Hayami is also getting pigtails. Right Yamuna?" Mizuko turns to Umi who has little Hayami on her lap while Umi gently washes her hair.

Hayami's purple eyes gleam as she nods. "Pig." She says firmly and all of them laugh.

"Yamyam's the cutest." Umi smiles as she conditioned Hayami's hair.

Mizuko chuckled as they all showered and hurried out.

It took Mizuko a while to dry and style Fumiko, Tadashi, and Hayami's hair but she managed to finish in a timely manner.

Mizuko found one of her orange patterned Cotton Kimonos with light pale Obi and quickly got dressed. Umi quickly dolled herself up and had Mizuko help her tighten the Obi on her silk kimono.

"Hayami, sit down please." Mizuko sighs as she picks up the energetic toddler. She carefully brushed out the curls and divided her hair up.

"Nii-san! Happy Birthday! " Tadashi yelled as Naruto, Kenta, Ryuu, and Karin arrived from the academy.

Mizuko grinned as she heard them come in.

"Home! They here!" Hayami squealed as she tried to wiggle away from Mizuko to go see the older kids arrive.

"Wait now, I'm almost done." Mizuko sighed as she tried to braid quicker.

"Mama! I go!" Hayami huffed and grumbled under her breath. "Mama." Hayami glared at Mizuko.

"Such a drama queen," Mizuko grumbled as she rolled her eyes. Hayami puffed her cheeks as she continued to try and wiggle away.

Mizuko pursed her lips as she tried to speed up. "Almost done, just give me a moment. Hayami..."

Hayami froze as she looked up at Mizuko, she grinned cheekily and Mizuko huffed as she tied off her pigtail. Hayami quickly slipped down and hurried to get to the door.

Mizuko had placed five scalp braids on each pigtail. Her curly hair looked like two pompoms.

Mizuko stood up and went to greet her oldest at the door. "Well if it isn't the birthday boy." She grinned as she stepped forward and engulfed Naruto in a hug. Tadashi and Hayami squeaked as they were also engulfed in the hug Mizuko gave Naruto.

"10 years old! Look at you, you've grown so much since last year." Mizuko smiles as she placed soft kisses on Naruto's cheeks.

Naruto blushed but smiled. "Mom." He groaned but didn't make any effort to pull away.

"You kids go take a shower and get dressed, Hokage-sama is coming over for dinner and so is Jiraiya. Later we are heading out to the festival." She stated as she pulled away.

"Imma use a Kimono!" Karin grinned as she rushed past Mizuko to shower and get dressed.

It didn't take long for the older kids to hurry past her and for them to get ready.

Tadashi gave Mizuko the hardest time I'm fixing his hair since he was trying to run off with either his older brothers or with Yukio.

But she somehow managed to take his bright red Afro like hair into some manageable braids.

Ryuu and Fumiko were quick to let Mizuko work on their hair since they actually did stay still. Fumiko's hair was braided into a beautiful design and two pigtails rested evenly and nicely on her hair, Ryuu had an undercut but the top part of his hair had scalp braids neatly placed on there with some gold like bands.

"I need help with my Obi!" Karin yelled out as she walked out wearing her cotton kimono, it was a bright red with yellow flowers embroidered into the bottom.

"Naruto, Kenta help your sisters put their Obi's on" Mizuko called out as she was finishing Ryuu's hair.

"Mizuko-sama will we be using the good silverware and plates?" Umi called out from the kitchen.

"Yes! Since the Hokage is going to be here, also make sure to bring the tea set out for when we cut the cake!" Mizuko called out as she tied off the last braid.

"Do you want it in a bun?" Mizuko asked and Ryuu nodded. "Alright, give me a second." She mumbled as she put Ryuu's hair in a bun and turned him around. "It looks good." She smiled as she stood up.

"Mom! Where's my Yukata?" Naruto called out from the bedroom.

"Should be in the second closet, it's in the third drawer and folded!" She called out as she managed to grab Yukio who was running around in his underwear.

"Found it!" Naruto yelled out.

"Let's get you dressed up yuyu." Mizuko grumbled as she carried the small toddler to the bedroom to get him dressed.

"How do I put this on?" Naruto asked her as she walked in. He was holding up a dark blue yukata.

Mizuko smiled at him for a second before she set Yukio down. "I'll show you. But let me dress Yukio, otherwise, he'll catch a cold." Mizuko pointed out as she began to dress the toddler in a small yukata.

Yukio jumped around and wiggled as Mizuko dressed him.

"He doesn't ever stay still." Naruto pointed out and Mizuko chuckled. "Of course not, he's excited as well ya know."

"Yeah, we haven't seen Jiraiya since your birthday. And Jiji is coming as well." Naruto stated as he watched Yukio run out of the room as soon as Mizuko let him go.

"Now, to put your Yukata on, first you need the undergarments. Come here." Mizuko stated as she began to show him how to wear it.

It took a while but soon everyone was dressed and ready.

"Mom! Jiji is here!" Mizuko heard Tadashi Yelp from the living room.

Mizuko has been making sure that the food was still warm and that they had all of the expensive silverware out.

"Hokage-sama. please come in." Umi bowed politely as the hokage came in.

"Jiji!" Naruto yelled excitedly as he engulfed the old man in a hug. Hiruzen was slightly shocked but a smile appeared on his face. "Naruto, my boy. You're finally 10 years old. I hope you don't mind I brought young Konohamaru." The aged Hokage grinned.

Konohamaru smiled widely as he gave Naruto a hug. "Naruto-nii, happy birthday." He squeaked and Naruto smiled.

"Thanks, Konohamaru." Naruto replied and ruffled Konohamaru's hair.

"Tch, It's the brat." Kenta grinned as he teasingly spoke to Konohamaru.

"Ne, Kenta-chan you okay? You're looking a little pale." Konohamaru teased right back and Kenta snorted. "I'm albino! Of course I'm pale!" Kenta huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Hokage-sama, I'm glad you were able to make it." Mizuko smiled as she walked into the room.

The kids were all playing with Konohamaru for a while and when Jiraiya arrived they made sure to pester him.

One year ago, Naruto had spent most of his birthday with the old Hokage. Since the Hokage had to give a speech he was usually to busy to walk around with Naruto for the festival. So in a way his birthday and most of the birthdays before it, he had spent alone.

For the first time, Naruto was actually celebrating his birthday. His siblings wished him a happy birthday, the Hokage and his grandson came to visit him, even Jiraiya showed up and gave him a gift.

After the cake they all bundled up and went to the festival, konohamaru even went with them because the Hokage would be busy making sure everything was running smoothly.

Unlike the other times he had gone to the festival, he genuinely had fun. Sure people still stared at him. But they were no longer rude or stared at him for too long.

Maybe it was because he was so distracted. Most of his siblings were loud, they all demanded some attention and were always making themselves known. He was tugged around by his youngest siblings to the different games and the older ones competed with him to see who could get the best prizes.

Hayami and Yukio were walking around with large stuffed animals. Mizuko had also given all of them some money to spend on the different stalls. He was just having so much fun that even if they had been rude, he hadn't noticed.

They had watched the fireworks in the park. All of the kids watched them in awe, since it was their first time seeing fireworks.

By the end of the night, Naruto was carrying Tadashi on his back. They had met back up with Mizuko who was carrying a sleeping Kaida in a sling on her back and little Yukio in her arms. Umi had been carrying Hayami. Everyone else was awake but tired from running up and down Mainstreet.

Naruto's birthday had been the last birthday that they would be celebrating since he had the last one. But everyone had agreed that Naruto's birthday had been the best.

Soon enough they were going back to the academy. Mizuko spent most of her days writing seals or in the paper shop making more high-quality paper. Umi would be at work in the fruit stand in the mornings and in the afternoons she helped Mizuko cook, clean, and watch over the kids.

Since Mizuko had some time off she made sure to continue her own studies. She had recently started to study a more religious branch of the Uzumaki scrolls. She was fascinated by how she could form different kinds of seals with the help of the masks and the Shinigami.

Although it had been in bad condition, the temple had a lot of things stored in it and Mizuko was able to find and organize most of it. That and some of the scrolls had traditional ceremonial attires and many heirlooms that would be useful for making seals.

In one of the scrolls, she had found an ink brush that would always have ink. There had also been many personalized techniques to make paper or other Uzumaki wares. Most of the Uzumaki clothes that she had found were bright and imbedded with beaded seals, the amount of silk Kimono's she had found nearly made poor Umi pass out.

'Some of these fabrics and prints are expensive, only nobles and people like the Daimyo can afford these kinds of things!' Umi had exclaimed at the sight of them.

Mizuko hadn't said anything because apparently it had belonged to the main branch family and they were technically royalty since they had been the Damiyo's of the land of whirlpools.

Everyone had been eager to help sort through the thousands of scrolls that had been sealed away on Mizuko's body.

As November came around the weather got colder. Mizuko had made enough paper that she probably wouldn't need to make more until spring came around.

That was until she was called into the Hokage's office.

Mizuko was nervous as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her Kimono. "I'll be back soon. You kids behave." Mizuko told everyone as she hurried to slip on her geta shoes.

"Umi-chan's in charge so make sure you listen to her." Mizuko stated and everyone chorused a yes as their mother left.

Everyone was inside due to the weather outside. All of the leaves had fallen off the seasonal trees, the only trees that had some green left were the evergreen trees and the Hashirama trees.

Mizuko shivered as she stepped out into the bitter cold. Her haori kept her warm and she wore thick tabi socks to keep her feet warm. The village was still slightly rowdy although most of the children were playing inside.

Mizuko hurried through the streets to get to the Hokage tower. She knew that the Hokage just wanted to talk with her and that she wasn't in trouble, but she couldn't help but be nervous. Even with the amount of time she did spend around him, he was an important figurehead in the village.

"I have an appointment with the Hokage. My name is Mizuko Uzumaki Senju." Mizuko informed the secretary. The woman just lifted a brow and nodded. "He is waiting. You can go in." The woman says and Mizuko meekly nods.

She checks herself over one last time before knocking on the door. "Come in."

Mizuko took in a deep breath and walked in. "Hokage-sama you wished to speak with me?" Mizuko calls out and the Hokage smiles politely. "Please come in, sit down. I just needed to speak with you." The old man was sitting in the sitting area near his desk.

Quietly Mizuko walked in and closed the door behind her. She took a seat in front of the Hokage.

"Now, how have you been?" He asks as he tried to lighten the atmosphere. Mizuko smiled as she relaxed a bit. "It's a bit colder here than it was back in Kusa. But the kids love it. Some of the other housewives and merchants have been saying that it might snow soon. It's been years since I last saw snowfall." Mizuko pointed out as the Hokage nodded and served her some tea.

Mizuko's eyes slightly widen, she would be drinking the tea served from the Hokage himself!

"Tea?" The old man asked and Mizuko nodded. She carefully took the teacup and sipped some.

"We get some snowfall. Not as much as the Iron country but a good bit of it." He points out as he sips on some tea as well.

"I'm assuming you are satisfied with your current stay in the village?" He asked and she nodded.

"A lot better than Kusa. It's nice having a freewill. Making my own money, living in my own home. It's- a lot better." Her voice slightly trails off as she remembered how different their life in Kusa had been.

"Well in a few days your parole will be over. You have to build up a reputation for the Uzumaki-Senju clan. Amongst the Shinobi you are a very respected young lady, and although civilians tend to have more prude and sexist views you are respected in their communities as well." The Hokage trailed off and Mizuko pursed her lips.

She had noticed, civilians were never good at hiding their animosity. Shinobi, of course, had been watching her closely, it was not every day a nearly extinct clan made a comeback. But when the seal shop had opened, it changed everything.

To most ninja, it was like walking into a candy shop. Seals to make your clothes durable, seals to enhance your weapons or seals to incorporate into your fighting style, even seals to strengthen your armor. These seals were saving lives and they were coinvent.

By now Mizuko could say that she had met plenty of shinobi, most of them were always asking if she had something in the works or suggestions on what she could think of trying. At some point, there were favorites and recommendations lists going around in the shinobi corps.

"I guess, although nobody is rude so upfront anymore. Or they keep their mouths shut when they want to be disrespectful. But I like it here in Konoha." Mizuko points out and Hiruzen nods.

"If you recall we spoke about adding you to the Clan head council. I think we should go ahead and bring you in, but there is a slight issue. The village charter says that you have to hold some military position to be allowed into the meetings." he stated and Mizuko's eyes widen.

"Will Naruto still be able to take the seat when he's older?" She asks and the hokage nods.

"Of course he will. But that does bring on the next subject. Mizuko, Fuinjutsu is considered a shinobi art. With your skill set, you might not be able to fight but you are able to hold a defensive position. Mizuko, would you accept the tittle as Genin?" He asked and Mizuko stiffened.

"I can't be a ninja, I'm not strong and I don't know how to fight. Sure I can make explosives but I would never be able to hold off even a newly graduated genin." Mizuko points out and the Hokage chuckles.

"But you're skill with a pen and brush are exemplar, with enough time to prepare you could most definitely take down a few enemies. But that is not why I want you to be a genin. You would be much like our shinobi who work in intelligence, they aren't fighters but they do work in intel, technology, security and handle sensitive information." He stated and Mizuko mulled over it in her head.

"I would not be required to fight, or take missions?" She asks and he nods. "We can loosen the terms, You are an Uzumaki and you were not taught in our academy. Nor were you taught in the land of fire. Uzumaki born and the one that taught you was a Uzushio Jonin. So you don't have to swear an oath to Konoha. Just a genin in name, Uzushio genin to be precise." Hiruzen added and Mizuko nodded.

"This is for legal terms right?" Mizuko asked as she closed her eyes for a second. Konoha might be an independent city-state, but legal wise... Konoha citizens were duel citizens. They had to be land of Fire citizens first and foremost. Also, Naruto was technically noble because he was a descendent of the Daimyo of Uzushio.

That meant that Naruto was to inherit an entire island! Did anyone own it now? Were Uzushio's lands bare?

Uzushio was nestled off the coast of the land of Fire and the Land of water and lightning nearby. If Naruto ever became a full Konoha Shinobi, who served the land of Fire, then that would make the Island of Uzushio part of the land of Fire.

But if Mizuko claimed that she was a Uzushio Genin, then she could technically make Naruto a Uzushio genin as well. Naruto would receive his title as Daimyo and 'transfer' himself under Konoha's administration.

Which kept the sovereignty of Uzushio, while letting Naruto be a shinobi. But Naruto doesn't need a whole island.

So why was Hiruzen suggesting this, Mizuko thought to herself.

"So you want me to be an Uzushiogakure shinobi. but wh-" She cut herself off as she thought about it.

If the other villages and countries saw the land of Fire claim some unowned land they would think that they were expanding. The act could be seen as aggressive. Especially since that could be a strategical point to reach the land of lightning and the land of water.

Mizuko pursed her lips as she looked down at her tea and then took a sip.

"Naruto will inherit a title. A very large and powerful title, when he grows up. If he is a Konoha shinobi, then he will swear loyalty to the fire daimyo. Which would mean that he is basically forfeiting all of the lands he owns outside of fire country to the Fire Daimyo. I don't know much about politics or the fire daimyo and his court. I am going to assume they will want to occupy the new territories and claim it. The other countries would see this as an aggressive expansion?" She asks in a soft calm voice.

The old Hokage leans back and nods. "The second war started because of the sands aggressive expansions. They will see us and will militarize. But if Naruto never swears an Oath to the Fire Daimyo then he does not release his claim to the lands and Fire country does not expand. And no war is started." The Hokage nods as he places his pipe in his mouth and puffs dark clouds of smoke in the air.

"He was hidden because if the Daimyo's court found out he was Kushina's son then they would try to send assassins to change the line of succession and take the empty lands . Iwa, Kumo or Kiri could also try to act on previous grudges. As for his father's side, I don't even want to think of the amount of murder attempts we would have had to deal with." The Hokage added and Mizuko nodded.

"I see, then it's more like a political loophole. What about the kids though?" She asks and Hiruzen nods.

"There needs to be an Uzumaki Damiyo to serve, but Konoha has the ability and permission to make Uzumaki shinobi. It was mostly for Cross-training before they were destroyed." Hiruzen added and Mizuko nodded.

"Was Kushina-sama a Konoha shinobi?" She asked and Hiruzen shook his head. "She wore only the Uzumaki swirl on her forehead, but back then it was almost as if Uzushio and Konoha were one village. But they were just split in two. Mito made sure that both villages were close throughout their founding and till only three or so decades ago." He added.

"Then maybe it is advisable, I'll claim the rank as Uzushiogakure genin. Naruto will then follow suit. I'm not really good at this political stuff and hopefully, I'll get better." she says with a firm nod.

"Good, we will get the paperwork for that started. With that, you will start coming into the clan heads meeting and council meetings. On November 21 we have a scheduled meeting, I'll give you a time later. This will also help out in dealing with other countries." Hiruzen stated as he took a sip of his tea.

"Other countries?" She asks and he nods. "You mentioned Nanami's father and some of the other more upstanding clan names. If they were to claim that we kidnapped a clan child we will be looked as unfavorable. This, of course, would affect the Daimyo's court and the other villages. But if they aren't Konoha Shinobi and they serve their own Damiyo, then Kusa would have no can't say we kidnapped them or you." He pointed out and Mizuko nodded as it made a bit of sense.

They would be affiliated with Konoha and the kids would be able to have their shinobi's careers. But at the same time, they won't ever have to swear their allegiance to the Daimyo and his court, but they will be able to learn, train, and be taught in Konoha. This would also make them independent. Nobody could own them, so Kusa would not be able to demand for them to be returned. At least without disturbing the five great nations. At which point that could mean that Kusa could cause a war, they would be trampled and would suffer heavy losses even as bystanders of war between the larger nations.

Kusa could lose the support of their Daimyo if they did that, so overall they would be unable to get Mizuko or the kids.

"I see, so being separate from Konoha. For our safety and to avoid Uzushiogakure from being absorbed by the fire country?" She asked and the Hokage nodded.

"You have the makings of a shinobi. You quickly understood what I was trying to tell you. And you have a knack for politics." He says and Mizuko couldn't help but furrow her brows.

"How so?" She asks and he chuckles lowly. "You deduce the plan I had come up with, I only told you the bare minimum of my idea. Nothing much if I am being pretty honest, but you made your mind up about the subject before I even finished explained it to you." He tells her.

"Shinobi need that, they need to think fast, find the best solution and act on it." he clarifies and she nods.

She couldn't even process it all. Technically she should be happy, They were vetted and no longer consider a high-level threat, assimilated into the community with no alternative motives.

It was frustrating, there was always something that needed to be fixed. Like how it was recommendable that she take a shinobi status, all because Naruto was from the main branch of the family by law he would inherit his family's property and the titles that came with them.

But then again, under Naruto's protection, they were safe from retaliation from Kusa. Even if he hadn't finished his schooling, or that he was a short ten year old, his background and inherits from blood and status were large. In the great scheme of things, his lineage was one that would catch the attention of any Damiyo's court.

If she really considered it, even her lineage was a bit big. She was also closely related to the main branch and her mother had been eligible for the second branch family.

Not only her mother but even through her fathers side, Daiki had been a nuke nin, he had deserted his village while it was still in war. She slightly shook her head as she tried not to think about it.

"I'll do it, this would not only help Naruto, but it will protect everyone and it will be beneficial to the village. That way Kusa doesn't have any claim to the children, Konoha will stay out of conflict because the Damiyo will not have Naruto under its employment. So it won't have any claims towards Uzushio. But this would mean that we will have a complete monopoly over the seals. Konoha will not be able to treat our Uzumaki seals as their property." Mizuko stated, she gently sipped the tea as she thought they could benefit.

Just because they had a favorable agreement with Konoha for protection, didn't mean that future offices wouldn't try to undermine the clan.

Hiruzen smiled and gave a short nod. "Of course, Seals have been the business of the Uzumaki for centuries. It would be best to leave that the same." He stated as he took a sip of his tea.

This is what she had wanted, a conformation that the Village wouldn't force for them to submit. They would get to stand up as an independent clan like all of the other clans here in Konoha. They would be allowed to keep their hidden secrets secret.

The village would not be able to force them to make any seals that they don't approve of, and other clans couldn't pressure them to give them anything since they were independent.

They spoke for a while longer about the seals that the village wanted to commission the most. He also passed on suggestions that the ninja had made when testing the seals in battles and if there was anything that could make the seals better.

Soon enough Mizuko thanked the Hokage for the tea and excused herself. They spoke for a good 2-3 hours going over the fine details.

Mizuko left the warm Hokage tower and walked briskly through the streets of Konoha back to the temple on the outskirts of the village.

She was relieved that they would be allowed to stay in the village and going to be offered protection. But at the same time, she felt a blanket of worry over her shoulders, poor Naruto, He was already stressing about studying to be a clan head. The last thing he needed was to know was that he would inherit the remains of Uzushio and whatever problems followed it.

She just hoped that either the daimyo didn't care about expanding to Uzushio through Naruto, or that he didn't know that Naruto even existed.

Although she would prefer that he would not care about expanding, if he simply didn't know about Naruto then he might take interest in exploiting him sometime in the future and she wanted him never to be exploited in a daimyo's court.

She let out a sigh as she tried not to think much about it, she tried to focus on the things around her. Like the soft hum of the Market, or the sound of her geta shoes every time she stepped on gravel or dirt roads.

Before she knew it she was at the bottom of the large staircase that led up to the Uzumaki Temple at the top of the hill.

She let out a soft sigh as she tried to push her worries aside. There was no point in stressing about it since there was nothing she could really do.

With that, she climbed up the long staircase trying to think about what she had in the fridge so that she could make lunch for her rowdy kids.

Here it is! Three days late but here!

What do you think? I added something called politics and mutual understandings. Imagine if Danzo was there. He would fuck everything up. Thank god he is dead. And now the story will go Superfast. Genin days will be up soon (Or at some point lol)

Adrianna lo siento que me tarde tanto, este capitulo te lo dedico a ti!

Rosyhatake/Rosymalik


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Winter Season

Third Person POV_

Soft tapping filled the room, Mizuko smiled softly as she went over the finances and the expenses for the week.

To make sure she didn't mess up she kept a calculator on the table and was mindlessly typing in the equations as she went.

A few feet away from her Hayami, Yukio, and Kaida laid on top of a soft pink blanket. They had fallen asleep while playing with their toys.

Hiashi and Fumiko were quietly playing shoji by the fireplace. Nanami and Tadashi were running through the secret passageways in the temple. Their loud footsteps rattled loudly through the quiet temple.

Mizuko was smiling and humming, it was midday and she had already finished most of the orders that were due in the evening.

"Umiiiii!" Tadashi squealed as he noticed the teen slipping off her geta shoes.

"Hello!"Umi giggled as she patted his cheek. "You come back from work?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Yup, Oh hey Nanami." Umi grinned as she saw Nanami.

"Umi-nee how was the market?" Nanami smiled as Umi was setting her purse down. "We sold out on most things. People loved Mizuko-sama's jam recipe. Thank kami we made enough to sell." She says as she hurried toward the kitchen.

"That's good, mom made all of those wooden jars and we made a lot of jam. Hopefully, we don't run out. Since it's hard to grow more right now." Nanami frowned slightly.

"Don't worry about it, even if we run out the seal shop makes more than enough to keep food on the table." Umi smiles gently and ruffles Nanami's hair. The small girl flushes and nods. "Okay." Nanami beamed as Umi hurried off.

"Welcome back Umi-chan." Mizuko smiled softly as she glanced up at Umi who was walking in the kitchen.

"Mizuko-sama the market was really full today. I guess it was because of how nice the weathers been. But I was able to sell a lot of the fruit jam we made. They say the seal keeps it extra fresh." Umi rambled the second she sat down.

The young girl was pulling notebooks, pencils, and a few scrolls out of her bag as she rambled about all of the gossip that went on in the market.

Mizuko simply smiled and listened. At times she would ask a question about the story or commented on something that was related to the story.

"Oh yeah, and the merchant from Suna is leaving again she says she won't be back until spring. She says you should go over for tea before she goes." Umi finished off.

"Mmm, I guess I should make some time for that. Maybe I could go in the afternoon, after dinner so that Karin and the boys can watch over everyone."Mizuko hummed as she stopped working and grabbed her notebook and opened it. She quickly jotted down what she had to do.

"Tell her that Thursday afternoon I'll have an opening. I'll visit her then." Mizuko says and Umi nods. "I'll tell her when I see her tomorrow." Umi adds.

"These are the scrolls with the remaining jam jars." Umi stated as she placed the scrolls on the table.

"Good, I guess we can go over everything. The more you do it the better you'll be at it." Mizuko says as she unfurled the scroll. She showed her how to do inventory and finance the fruit stand.

"This makes running the whole thing easier. I know how much we sell and what sells the most. We never learned this kind of math in the public academy, where did you learn how to do all of this?" Umi asked as she stretched her tired limbs.

Mizuko frowned slightly as she scrunched up her nose. Where had she learned how to make charts and finance like this. She looked down at her hands, she never had to buy anything in kusa and she rarely went out.

"I don't remember, it's just been so long I guess. My parents did own a small store. I think they sold high-quality paper and Vegetables? I can't quite remember, I was about seven when I left the iron country." She sighs as she realizes that she couldn't remember much.

"You think you might've picked it up while working in the store?" Umi hums and nods and Mizuko chuckles. "Probably, Although now that I think about it, I don't remember much about those days. If it wasn't for the pictures the Hokage gifted me with I don't think I'd remember my parents' faces." She smiles slightly at the end.

"But that doesn't matter, Ichika Akimichi came over to buy and trade some food for new wooden flasks with seals. They're for the Akimichi Jonin and Chunin. It's 7,000 ryo and some supply of pork from their butcher stores. You'll be picking them up on your way home. You just get it under the Uzumaki tab and it will be covered. It's a two-week agreement. " Mizuko grinned happily as she told her the news.

"We are going to deep freeze some of it right? It will be hard to pork for two weeks straight." Umi stated and Mizuko nodded.

"We will smoke it and make some jerky out of some of it. Deep freeze some and cook the rest. Knowing the kids, they'll definitely splurge on the extra meat." Mizuko chuckled as she glanced over to the smaller kids, they were all quietly snoring away on the plush pink blanket.

"Yay! I'm sure whatever you make will taste good. You could really give an akimichi a run for their money." Umi says and Mizuko blushes. "Ah it's nothing, Uzumaki style dishes are all just very good." She smiles as she scratches the back of her head.

Mizuko handed a jonin a packet of seals. "Thank you for your purchase." she bowed. She turned to the next person in line. "Good afternoon Mizuko-san." Kabuto smiled meekly as he handed her his chunin card.

"Hello, Kabuto-san. Did you find what you needed?" She asked and he nodded. "Yes, I've been using most of the seals that I've purchased. I can't help but buy more." He says and Mizuko nods as she checks the card. "I see, well I am glad you find them useful. So what can I get for you?" She asks and he hums.

"Some of those barrier seals, 4239 was the order number if I am correct. They were very helpful on the escort missions I've had." He says and Mizuko nods. "How many would you like?" She asked and he hummed. "They're all about 50 ryo each. Hm, give me 15 of them." He says.

Mizuko nodded and quickly gots the seals out and counted them. She couldn't help but glance over at the young Genin. He was about 2-3 inches taller than her. From the small talk they had while he was in the seal shop she found out that they were almost the same age, he was born in February while her birthdate was in September.

She had also found out that he had been adopted by the head of the hospital, so he was also trying to become a medic. He was pretty handsome and polite, so of course, Mizuko didn't mind taking his order.

"These correct?" Mizuko shows him one of the seals and Kabuto nodded. "Yes, those are it." He says with a slight nod. Mizuko nodded and smiled as she placed the stack of seals on the table. "That's going to be 750 ryo." She says and he hands her the money.

"You know Mizuko-san, I was thinking... Would you like to go out on a da-" Kabuto never got to finish the sentence because of a loud yell.

"Mizuko-chan! It's been a while... I brought dango, cake, and tea! A bit of an apology for spilling all that tea all over you last time!" Anko's voice rang loudly.

Mizuko jumped and squeaked at Anko's sudden appearance. "Kami Anko-san, You scared me." Mizuko heaved as she placed a hand on her chest.

Anko grinned and leaned against the counter. "You're closing soon right? I'll stay here after closing so we can grub." Anko held up a large bag filled with deserts and the small sack that had the fresh tea leaves.

Mizuko blushed and nodded. "Sorry about that Kabuto-san, But thank you for your patronage." she quickly bowed to kabuto and turned back to Anko.

"Thank you." Kabuto slightly trailed off as he glanced over at the Tokobetsu Jonin and then back at the Mizuko who seemed to be friends with said Jonin.

He turned around and sneered slightly. 'Is she tempering with Lord Orochimaru cursed seal? She is a seal master and probably better than Jiraiya. I guess I'll have to inform Lord Orochimaru that Mizuko might tamper with the curse seal.' Kabuto thought as he hurried out of the temple.

As he descended down the steps of the temple he glanced down at the stack of seals he'd just purchased. 'Hopefully, we will be able to break the compression seal she places on them. Lord Orochimaru wants to see what he can learn from her Uzushio style.' Kabuto thought to himself as he left the Uzumaki estates ground.

"Anko-san what other kinds of missions do you take?" Fumiko asked as she listened to Anko's mission stories.

"I've taken quite a few. Being a ninja means you get to meet people from all around the world. I've been to plenty of countries, even some islands to the east." Anko says with a grin, she could see all of their eyes light up in excitement.

"It's like when we stopped at all those towns when we were on our way here!" Nanami pointed out and Karin scrunched up her nose.

"That feels like forever ago, but if I am right we started traveling almost two years ago. Didn't we travel for like a few months?" Karin says and Mizuko hums.

"About 1 year and 10 months. I wasn't even pregnant with Kaida back then. Mmm, now that I think about it I had fun in some of the villages." Mizuko pointed out as she gently bowed at Umi as she thanked her for serving the tea.

"Ah, so you guys already started traveling. That's good, you'll be able to handle sudden climate changes when your traveling at a high pace. Most jonin can run across an entire country in a few hours."

"A-A-A few hours!? It took us months to cross half of one country!" Nanami piped up as she stopped stuffing cake from her mouth.

"Yup, One day you kids will be sprinting across the entire country without breaking a sweat." Anko stated boisterously and Fumiko seemed to be in deep thought.

"Anko-san, your legs are pretty strong and muscular. Are our legs going to look like that?" Fumiko asked and Anko looked taken back for a moment.

"Well, yeah. You have to be pretty strong if you want to be a ninja. So you'll be a bit more on the muscular side." She stammers out, slightly embarrassed by the question. Mostly because civilian beauty standards were usually centered on being skinny and lanky.

Fumiko was quiet for a second before bursting out with a squeal. "I'm going to be really strong. I'm even going to have super strong and fast legs and strong arms like mama!" Fumiko cheered and both older women cocked their heads slightly.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked boredly.

"Anko-san has really strong legs, she can run an entire country in hours! It took us like four months! And I've seen mama, she has really strong arms." Fumiko grinned as she flexed her arms.

"Now that you mention it. Mama, you're pretty buff." Karin says as she turns to Mizuko.

Mizuko blushed and stammered. "Don't say it like that." She grumbled and Umi hummed.

"It's probably from when you work at the seal shop. Beating the bark of the mulberry trees and creating the paper takes a lot of strength. That and the Garden. So it's only fitting that you have strong arms."Umi stated as she sipped on her cup of tea.

"Don't worry about it Mizu-Chan! You are really pretty, and besides who would want to marry someone with noodle arms. " Anko teased and gently bumped her shoulder.

"Besides, from what I hear you are already considered one of Konoha's beauties. I hear that you have some admirers in the shinobi corps and even some civilians are charmed by your beauty." Anko adds while she grins and bites down on her Dango.

Mizuko sipped her tea while blushing a bright red. "I guess your right."

"Now wait a minute! They better stay away from my mama! She's too good for most of them!" Karin calls out and Naruto nods in agreement.

"Yeah...Mom you deserve only the best." Naruto says stubbornly and crosses his arms

Anko laughs loudly as Mizuko's face turns an even brighter shade of red.

Mizuko made sure to get dressed. "How do I look?" She asked the kids as she walked out of the bedroom.

"Pretty!" Hayami squealed as she hurried in front of Mizuko and lifted her arms so that Mizuko would pick her up.

Mizuko smiled and picked up the small toddler and placed kisses on her chubby cheeks.

"Ne, yamyam, do you like mama's kimono!" Mizuko asked the small girl and Hayami giggled and nodded.

"It looks really pretty. Man I wish I was old enough to get a kimono." Karin huffed as she stood up and walked around Mizuko to take a better look at the elaborate design.

"That's a new Obi right?" She asked and Mizuko nodded.

"Kimonos are kind of expensive so I decided to just grab one of the Obi's that we found sealed away." Mizuko says with a small smile

The obi was a light yellow with a dark purple diamond pattern and yellow daisies, at the bottom it had the Uzumaki swirl and in embroidered on the bottom was the Uzushiogakure name. It was proudly displayed on her back and the rope that held the Obi also had the Senju clan symbol and the Uzumaki clan symbol.

Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail and she had put on some lipgloss and put on eyeliner.

"Well, I think you look great." Kenta stated as he eyed the obi and the kimono.

"You're going to that clan meeting right?" Naruto asked as he looked over at her.

"Yeah, I am." Mizuko nodded and set Hayami down. She then unsealed a small package and began to unwrap it.

"The only thing left for me to put on is this." She sighed and the kids started to crowd around her.

"What is it-" Nanami quickly shut up and stares down at the headband in Mizuko's hands.

"That's ... That's an Uzushiogakure headband." Fumiko stammered out as she stared at the shiny metal in shock.

Mizuko nodded and carefully placed the headband on. "Due to circumstances, I will be taking a nonactive shinobi position. But as an Uzushiogakure shinobi, So my allegiance is to the next Uzumaki clan head." She smiled softly and Naruto stiffened his eyes going down for a moment, his face scrunched up as he thought about it.

'That's me, I am the next clan head.' Naruto thought to himself. He was already worried about having to become clan head when he was older, but now Mizuko was a ninja loyal to him. It was odd. He had always wanted to be Hokage and to lead the Konoha but this was not something he had ever expected.

Mizuko quickly noticed Naruto's slight dilemma and she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Although, it's still a few years off. Hokage-sama and I spoke, since I was trained by an Uzushiogakure Jonin it's only right for me to take a shinobi status under mothers banner." She says as she looks over at everyone.

She held her head high and nodded. "I will be gone for several hours, listen to Umi-chan since she is in charge and behave." She says sternly as she looks over at everyone.

The older kids nod mutely as they looked up at her. The smaller kids loudly talked over each other about how they would listen to Umi and point out how Mizuko looked pretty.

"Alright then, I'm off." Mizuko sighs as she ruffles Naruto's hair and places a kiss on everyone's forehead. It took her a few minutes but soon enough she was slipping on her geta shoes and heading out the door.

"I don't know why, but seeing the Uzumaki headband... made me really happy." Karin mumbles as she glances at Naruto with small tears prickling the corner of her eyes. Naruto was still staring at the doorway but he paused for a second a small smile on his face. " It makes me happy too." Naruto grumbles with a small smile on his face.

Mizuko walked down the streets at a quick brisk pace. She couldn't help but go over all the information the Hokage had gone over with her. From the seating arrangement and how they voted on topics, to how she would present an idea in the council hall.

The ninja guarding the tower quickly identified her and let her into the meeting hall. There were other clan heads already present. She took notice of the Hyuga, She wasn't quite sure what his name was but she recognized his pearly white eyes.

The Inuzuka matriarch was easy to spot as well, the woman was loud and boisterous. She seemed to be speaking to a blond-haired man. She wasn't quite sure who the man was, he had long blond hair and light blue eyes.

Besides the blond man there was another man, he seemed uninterested in whatever the blond man and Inuzuka matriarch were saying. He had dark brown hair and three scars on the side of his face and a slight goatee.

She assumed the man sitting behind him was Akimichi Choza, she had made a few dealings with Choza's wife, she was a full-bodied woman with short black hair and brown eyes that were accentuated by orange in the outer corner. From what she knew she was a polite kind woman and had been part of the Akimichi clan and a retired Kunoichi.

There were other ninja chattering but she didn't recognize them and figured that they were from minor clans or clans that didn't have distinctive features.

She carefully walked in trying not to gather attention but some ninja were quick to notice her. She wasn't able to walk quietly like them and she didn't even realize some of the more sensitive ninja were able to sense her large chakra reserves. She had a taken the Uzumaki seat, which was right beside the Senju seat. (Although that seat was empty.)

She could feel lingering eyes on her, they were watching her from afar. Maybe it was because they had not seen her before or because of her headband. It had been many years since someone had worn the Uzushiogakure headband.

"You must be Mizuko Uzumaki, right? Names Choza Akimichi." The large man spoke up he had bright red hair and purple markings on his cheeks. He was quite large (6ft tall) and he seemed to have some healthy weight on him. (Mostly muscle).

"Ah, yes. I am Mizuko, I've heard quite a bit about you from your wife Maiko Akimichi." Mizuko nods and the man chuckles and nods.

"All good things I suppose? But it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Those water flasks you sold to us have been a massive boon. Our clansmen are quite fond of the sealing matrix." Choza grinned and Mizuko smiled softly.

"Ah yes, I worked on that project for a few weeks." Mizuko preened as she remembered Maiko Akimichi. They had gotten along quite well. "How is she? I haven't had time to stop by and visit her." Mizuko commented and Choza grinned.

"She's well, but as always she's always busy with clan matters." He stated before the Hokage made his presence known. The room instantly quieted down, Mizuko stood up along with the other clan heads as the Hokage walked past them and sat in the front of the room.

"Konoha's Clan meeting starts, I will begin with the roll call of the clan heads." A shinobi called out as everyone began to sit down once again.

Clan head's names were being called out and in alphabetical order. Mizuko listened quietly for the Uzumaki name to be called out. She tried to memorize the faces of the Clan heads present, although she noticed that there were some clans she never even heard about.

It took about 8 minutes for them to get to her name. She was one of the last ones to be called out.

From what she knew there was about 80 or so clans in Konoha. Most of their ninja came from civilian families from the land of fire. The population in Konoha was around 400,000 people, out of that 60% of that population was civilian. Civilian born ninjas made most of the ninja population 120,000 out of 225,000, Clan ninja accounted for 40,000 of the ninja population and from what she could see there were about 80 clans. Some of the larger clans had a bit over 1,000 clan members while the rest varied in numbers. The smaller clans still had about a minimum of 100 members.

Of course there were still smaller ninja families and clans that had gone near extinct. The Uzumaki clan being one of them.

The last to be called out were the Yamanaka clan.

The meeting took hours, Mizuko tried to pay attention to everything being said. From the border patrol reports, intel of the other villages and the inner workings of the village.

It was quite impressive, how the ninja organized themselves in the village. Clans were like small city-states that listened to the Hokage. The ninja population being handled by the shinobi was also outstanding.

But soon enough the discussion shifted to seals. Hiashi Hyūga quickly spoke up when the matter of seals came up.

Quick discussion quickly took place from then on out. Clan heads spoke up about seals that they believed should be provided universally to all of their ninja. Like how the explosive tags were common gear.

"To be honest, at this point I think it would be wise to consult Konoha's sealing specialist." Hiruzen motioned towards Mizuko.

The entire time she had been silent and listening. But suddenly all eyes were on her. She could feel her cheeks flush.

She gave a firm nod. "I am the clan head of the Uzumaki clan until our heir is of age. You can refer all of your concerns over the seals to me." She calmly spoke. She internally counted the seconds that went by as they seemed to last forever.

"I do have some questions, I noticed the system set up for the purchase of seals. But I have one concern. What if there was a traitor what kind of precaution do you have in place so that the seals aren't used against the village?" Hiashi Hyūga spoke up and Mizuko pursed her lips.

"That's actually quite easy. All of the seals purchased are connected by the card the shinobi uses to buy the seal. If there was a traitor and the seals need to be disabled there is a function to that card. It's called Voiding, by disabling the card and marking it as Void. All seals connected with the card become completely useless. Of course, normal shinobi are not told of this function. So let's say they set up explosives in konoha and try to make an escape. Hokage-sama would order for the card to be made void and when the traitor was to try and activate them the seals will completely fail." Mizuko stated calmly.

"Jiraiya-sama was the one to assist me in making this function." She finished off .

There was some low mumbling in the room, she noticed some clan heads nodding in approval.

"Is there anyway to make a more mass production of the seals?" Shikaku asked suddenly and the room quieted down a bit.

"At the moment there isn't. I handle most of the production of seals. I do start off from raw materials and make my own high quality paper to ensure that there is no tampering with the process. I currently took in one vassal at the moment to help handle some of the workload. But I am considering hiring some more hands to expand the seal production." Mizuko points out.

"If I were to employe another person, it would not be for seal making. I would prefer to take an apprentice for paper making, being that paper making is a long and tedious task." She added.

"Are you willing to take an apprentices who want to learn sealing?" The Yuhi clan head asked and Mizuko shook her head.

"Uzumaki seals are a closed clan practice. I believe it would be best that only Uzumaki born learn the art. Although as mentioned to Hokage-sama, I would be willing to provide apprenticeships for normal sealing styles and or general seal education for the right price." She stated calmly.

A few more mumbles were heard across the room. So this is what Jiraiya had meant. It was obvious that many clan heads wanted to send at least one clan member to study as a seal apprentice.

It was a lost art and yet here they had a seal master in their village, it was a rare opportunity for them.

Normal ninja clans knew very little about seals. Not only because most of their jutsu and techniques were passed down from their ancestors, but because it was so hard to master and most ninja didn't live long enough to learn it.

Back in the warring era the life expectancy of a shinobi was early thirties and with luck their early forties. Most of them were to busy mastering gen, nin, and Taijutsu in order to survive that they never settled down and leaned Fuinjutsu.

But what they did learn about fuinjutsu was the most basic of things, exploding tags and sealing scrolls.

Meanwhile the Uzumaki life expectancy at that time was 100 years for the ninja and for civilians they could go up to 175 years.

The whirlpools made by their ancestor Kiyo Uzumaki, and had protected the village from most invasions.

From what Mizuko had read, Kiyo Uzumaki's real name had been Kiyo Senju.

Apparently she had been closely related to the Senju clan head a few centuries back. From the biography left behind, she had been born a stillborn but somehow came to life after an hour or so.

She recovered from that and her chakra grew in leaps and bounds. Her chakra reserves were so large that when she practiced calligraphy the letters actually became reality, that is where the art of sealing began.

She was also very beautiful, she had crimson red hair and violet colored eyes with a beige colored skin.

The Senju clan had been looking to unite their clan with the Hagoromo clan. The Hagoromo agreed because the clan Heir fallen deeply in love with the Kiyo, and in order to take advantage of that the Senju clan head agreed to wed them.

Being the free spirit she was, Kiyo declared that she wouldn't marry the Hagoromo clan heir and ran away from the mainland.

She snuck out on a boat and traveled to the island and hid there.

The Hagoromo waited for the promised bride for their clan heir but the Senju turned up empty handed. The Hagoromo clan took offense and they decided to cut all of their alliances and trade deals with the Senju clan and joined sides with the Uchiha clan.

Infuriated by the repercussions the Senju clan head sent out shinobi to kill her and to kill everyone that had aided her escape and gave her asylum.

Kiyo was said to have used a forbidden technique and created massive whirlpools to protect the small island.

After months of trying to get to her and not being able to the Senju clan finally gave up.

The islanders were grateful for her constant protection against invaders that that made her the leader of the Village.

She then on changed her last name to Uzumaki and began teaching everyone on the island the art of sealing and the shinobi techniques she knew.

As the years went on she established the Uzumaki clan and their religion.

From excerpts of Kiyos own diary the Uzumaki religion was explained.

The shinigami had liked Kiyo's chakra so much that he revived her and gifted her with an abundant amount of chakra as an infant.

At times when her sealing hadn't been enough to protect the village from the Senju or any other shinobi clan that was trying to get their hands on their fuinjutsu or trying to wipe them out before they became to strong. Kiyo had summoned the shinigami and used the god of death himself to kill any invaders.

Kiyo also started a long traditional practice amongst the Uzumaki. She had been able to genetically enhance herself through seals.

The practice was called hereditary seals. Seals that genetically modified someone, they were mostly used to create kekkei genkai.

Making a seal that could become a kekkei genkai was the ultimate goal for all seal masters and a few of them succeeded.

Many different abilities and kekkei genkai were created because of this and after the invasion most of the kekkei genkai's had gone extinct.

All except the Adamantine chains, and Kiyo's tremendous reserves of chakra and vitality .

That's why the Uzumaki had been feared. A clan that worshipped the shinigami, were seal masters, and they seemed to live forever at times.

They were also a lively crazy bunch, and compared to the other clans at the time they stood out.

The Uzumaki clan was not as old as the Hyūga, Uchiha, or even the Senju clan, but they had some the best documented history and their fuinjutsu was valued enough that the main family gained the title of nobility.

Mizuko was aware of her families history, her mother had been diligent enough to teach her even while they had been imprisoned in Kusa.

There was a bit more low whispers at the mention that she might take a few apprenticeship.

"Are you thinking about taking apprenticeship soon?" The Yamanaka clan head spoke up and Mizuko glanced at him.

"I would like to expand my seal shop a bit more before taking any apprenticeships. I also have to prioritize my own children's fuinjutsu training." She pointed out.

The Hokage nodded firmly. "For now the village will be ordering the recommended seals." He said and Inoichi nodded firmly and signaled for his subordinate to come in.

A young ninja appeared in front of the clan heads and Hokage.

Mizuko quietly watched and listened the ninja showed the results of the testing that had been done.

The armor enhancing seals were limiting the damage and on field injuries.

'Amazing. They were actually conducting experiments like this! I thought that just testing it out with Jiraiya had been enough. But they are continuing to observe the results of the seals during live combat.' Mizuko was listening excitedly.

Seal masters were engineers, their thought process was always outside of the box and coming up with new ways to use the art of calligraphy and symbols.

It didn't take long for them to start going over other topics, but in some of the discussions Mizuko was left confused. She stayed neutral in most of the discussions and reserved her votes for a later date.

In other words the Uzumaki clan was staying Neutral to most things. She figured that it was better than just randomly picking a side on political issues.

Mizuko made sure to take notes on certain issues, and she was also skimming over on most topics that they were discussing, they had received packs of paper with more in-depth information about the reports.

By the time it was over four hours had passed. Mizuko was tired and bored by the end of it.

It took her another thirty minutes to leave the council hall because she stopped and talked to a few clan head who wanted to introduce themselves to her.

By the time she got home she was mentally exhausted.

"So how did it go?" Naruto asked her as soon as she walked through the door.

She smiled gently and let out a long sigh. "Tiring that's for sure. Met a lot of people as well." She stated as she ruffled his hair.

"Mizuko-sama, you're back already." Umi asked as she noticed Mizuko taking off her geta shoes.

Mizuko paused for a second and glanced over at Umi.

'I don't feel like cooking, and everyone must be hungry.' Mizuko thought to herself.

"Why don't we go out to eat. It's still early and I'm starving." She stated and both of their faces lit up.

"I'll go get the kids!" Umi smiled and hurried off to get everyone else.

"Worried?" Mizuko asks as she glanced over at Naruto and he gave her a nervous smile.

"It's still years before you have to worry about these kinds of thing." She says pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheeks.

"Mom!" Naruto groaned as he let her baby him. Mizuko laughed and patted his head. "Any restaurant recommendations?" She asks and his smile widened.

"Well, there's this great ramen place called ichuraku ramen." Naruto grinned excitedly and Mizuko chuckled.

" Then lets help Umi get everyone ready to go out."

Hello guys! The story will definitely speed up now.

Any comments? Please leave reviews they make me write faster.

Rosymalik/rosyhatake


	21. Chapter Twenty: Life Lessons

Mizuko POV_

I carried a large laundry basket, I carefully maneuvered the basket in my arms as I tried to open one of the sliding doors.

I couldn't help but smile as I managed to open the door without dropping the basket. I glanced back and shut the sliding door with my foot.

"Mom! Watch out!" I heard a few yells but as I turned to see what was going on I was hit full force by something and everything went black

"Oh man, Oh man we really messed up this time."

"Mom, mom are you okay."

"We are grounded aren't we."

"My leg hurts."

I slowly open my eyes, my vision was slightly blurry. I could feel an aching pain on the side of my face and my back.

"What happened?" I manage to grumble out as I sat up. I glance around me to see Karin, Ryuu, Kenta, Naruto, Nanami and Tadashi.

I couldn't help but cock a brow as I notice all of them glance at Naruto to see what he would say.

"Well we were uh, practicing our flips and uh..." Naruto trailed off and everyone seemed to try to hide behind him.

I let out a loud sigh as I started to get up. "I have told you all not to do flips inside the temple for this exact reason." I grumble as I rub my head and shake my head. I glance at them once more and crossed my arms.

"Help me pick up the laundry and put them up. And since you don't have anything else to do you can most certainly help me with the house chores. The baths need to be scrubbed down and I noticed weeds growing in the garden. " I say and they all seemed to start pouting.

"As a matter of fact I bought new paint and the east wing still needs to be painted." I add and I could see their faces go a little paler.

"Uh sure. I think we can do that." Naruto nodded nervously and I couldn't help but wonder why he was so nervous. I glanced back and my eyes instantly widened.

"The door... my rice paper door!" I exclaimed as my eyes landed on the broken door.

"We can fix that?" Karin tried to reassure me. "You guys are so grounded. This was one of the original door panels and it was painted by the original designer." I sighed as I tried to see if I could mend the broken panels.

"Uh, yeah my leg went through it." Kenta grumbled sheepishly. "Well let me see your leg. You probably hurt yourself." I grumble as I crouched down to take a look.

"He's fine, we already checked on him." Karin pipped up and I frowned. "The door splintered when the panel broke and there seemed to be a bit of blood on there." I stated but frowned when I noticed there was nothing wrong with his leg.

"No, it's fine I swear." Kenta piped up as he pulled away.

I narrowed my eyes slightly and glance at all of them. I could see they all had a nervous look in their eyes and were avoiding eye contact. "Tadashi, did anyone get hurt?" I ask and Tadashi glanced over at his siblings nervously.

"Uh, um well." He trailed off. "Don't lie." I added and his resolve seemed to crumble.

"Kenta-nii hurt his leg and Karin-Nee let him bite down on her arm to heal." He muttered and they all groaned as he told on them.

I rubbed my temples and sighed. "You do realize, that is going to leave a scar on your arm." I say with a sigh as I glance over to her and she ducked her head slightly.

"I know." She grumbled and I sighed even more. " You kids are 10 years to early to try to pull one over on me." I say and they all went pale.

"Is it to late to say sorry?" Ryuu asked and I frowned even more.

"I hate school!" Naruto groaned loudly as he sat at the dining room table with his school work.

"Eh, I can deal with it." Ryuu shrugged as he was working on his study guide.

"It's worth dealing with because of Sasuke-kun." Karin added as she was working on the math portion of her school work. "God why did you have to meet him!" Naruto groaned as he face planted on the table.

"Sasuke-kun? Is that a boy you like?" Mizuko asked as she was cooking lunch.

"Yeah and she never shuts up about him. Like all of the other girls in my class." Naruto groaned.

"If you got the looks you get hounded." Kenta shrugged. "I hate fangirls. they're so weird, and always want to sit around you and ask you all sort of weird questions." Ryuu grumbled in annoyance.

"Wait, you have fangirls?" Naruto sat up. "Uh. I guess. They're always like 'Ryuu-kun, why don't you sit by me.' and 'Ryuu-kun, I made you a bento, so why don't you eat lunch with me.' It gets a bit annoying after a while." Ryuu stated and we all stared at him for a moment.

"That's so not fair! How come girls like you?!" Naruto groaned. " All I want is for Sakura-chan to like me." He added with a groan.

"Like, date, crushes... Aren't you kids a bit too young for that? I mean you guys aren't even 10 years old." I say worriedly as I stirred a bit faster.

"Did you ever have a crush on anybody?" Karin asked and I stiffened slightly. "Well, I didn't really ever get into the whole dating thing and well I was pretty young when we were taken to Kusa." I say and Karin paled.

"Oh, uh, sorry for bringing it up mom." She blushed slightly as she looked down at her homework.

I sighed as I stirred the food. "But I guess there's nothing wrong with having a crush on somebody. So Sakura and Sasuke right? What do they look like?" I ask as I tried to change the subject.

"Sakura-chan is the prettiest. She has pink hair and green eyes and she's really cute." Naruto piped up with a blush on his cheeks. " But she likes Sasuke, I don't even get what's so great about him. He barely talks, is mean and doesn't even have any friends." Naruto grunted.

"Well I like sasuke, and I think he is dreamy." Karin huffed as she glared at Naruto.

"Have you asked her out?" I asked as I glance back at him. "Yeah, But she said no. She says no everytime I ask her." He sighs and I stiffen. "So you have asked her out multiple times even after she said no?" I ask and he nods.

"I heard that if you are persistent they might change their mind. And I want to ask Sasuke-kun out before the year is over." Karin stated and I frowned at the thought of that.

"Well, it doesn't sit well with me." I say and Kenta snorts. "Why not?" He asks and I frown even more.

"Well, it's okay to like somebody. There's nothing wrong with having a crush. The thing that I don't agree with is being persistent. If you ask someone out and they say no, then you should respect their decision. If you continue to pester them then it becomes harassment." I say as I put the food on low heat so it can simmer.

"Well, what if they change their mind and decide that they do like you?" Karin asks and I sigh.

"Then let them know that you like them and if they do return the feelings they can ask you out instead. What would you guys do if there was a guy that asked me out, and after telling them no they continued to ask and pester me about it? At somepoint I think that I would get mad, don't you think." I say and they both glance at each other.

"She's not wrong, I've told the girls in my class that I don't want to date and it's annoying to have them chase after me." Ryuu pointed out and I nod.

"It's rude to harass someone once they have told you that they aren't interested. That doesn't mean you have to stop liking them, it means you respect their opinion. You can also ask to just be friends ya know." I say and Naruto frowns.

"Do you think that's why Sakura-chan yells at me?" He asks and I nod. "You aren't respecting her decision. No means no. Consent is very important. And if they do cave in and say yes, they might just be doing it to get you off their back. There's nothing worse than getting someone to date you out of pity." I finish off.

"I... I didn't know." Karin muttered as she looked down at her homework. "Do you think I should apologize? I've been asking Sakura out since we were in the first year." Naruto pointed out and I hummed.

"That might be a good idea." I say and he frowns a bit more. "What would I even say?" He asked and I hummed as I thought about it.

"Well you could always tell her that you are sorry for being inconsiderate about her feelings, maybe you could ask her to be friends instead or you could just leave it as an apology." I say and he nods.

"How would I go about getting all of the fangirls off me?" Ryuu asks and I let out a sigh. "Now that... is a little more complicated." I say as I turn to him.

It was now late spring. The older kids were working hard to study for their yearly finals while the younger ones were busy with their seals.

"Mizuko-sama, Anko is here!" Umi called out as she answered the door.

"Anko?" I asked as I looked up from my sealing studies. "Mizuko-chan!" Anko squealed as she rushed in and I was confused to see her but not really shocked. Over the months Anko and I had become best friends, she would come over often and at times we would go out for formal tea ceremonies.

"Let's go out!" She grinned as she pulled me into a tight hug. "Go out?" I ask in confusion. "My friend Kurenai and Yugao are having a get together at a bar and I want to bring you with me. I mean you barely go out." She pouted. "Well, I mean I don't really go out much." I say slightly embarrassed.

"You rarely have time to go out with friends and tomorrow is Sunday so you will only need to worry about the seal shop, but it opens in the afternoon." Umi points out as she walks in.

"See the kid knows what she is talking about. And You only go out every blue moon." Anko complained.

"Well, I guess she isn't wrong, but what about the kids?" I point out as I set down my ink brush. "What about us?" Karin asked as she walked into the dinning room with a glass of chocolate milk.

"Hey, Karin-chan. Is it okay if I steal your mom for the night?" Anko asks loudly as she turns to Karin who was walking in from the kitchen.

Karin narrowed her eyes for a split second before nodding. "Mama definitely needs some girl time." She shrugged as she began sipping some chocolate milk.

"See, I knew I wasn't the only one that thought you needed to go out." Anko chuckled. "Well I guess one night out wouldn't hurt." I shrugged as I glanced over at Anko.

"So a night out. I guess I'm in." I shrug while anko squealed in excitement.

"So skirt or pants?" Anko asked holding up a latex black skirt and a pair of cute black pants.

"Skirt?" I squeal out and she nods and hands them to me. "Okay so this white tank top would look great, and these as well." She hands some net tights . I couldn't help but blush at the clothing choice. I had never really worn anything like this before, but this was Anko's clothing choice.

"So what do you think?" I ask as I opened the door. "Huh?" Anko turned and looked at me. She sat up and nodded. "Damn girl, those kimonos were not doing ya justice." She laughed loudly as she stood up.

I couldn't help the blush on my face as she said this. "I think they are very comfortable. These skirts are pretty short, and so is this shirt." I complain loudly as I look at myself in the mirror.

"Huh?! No they aren't they cover you up... well I guess in someways you are right. My skirt does fit you a bit small. It actually looks shorter on you than it does me." Anko piped in as she stood beside me and compared the length of our skirts. "Huh?" I turn to the side to get a better look at my behind and blush.

"It does look shorter on me. Why?" I mutter. "It's pretty stretchy material, You might be a bit shorter than me but you have way more hips and ass than me so it can't be helped." She shrugged and I blushed and face palmed.

"Isn't it a bit to, I don't know... um immodest?" I grumble as I turn to look at myself from behind.

"It's fine, you look great. What's the point of having a great body if you can't show it off. You look like a strong independent woman." Anko grinned and I couldn't help but stare at my reflection for a bit longer before grinning widely.

"I do like it, and it does make me look great." I say before smiling as I turn and look at myself in the mirror a bit longer. I couldn't help but pose infront of the mirror.

"Then let's go, I told Yugao we would meet up at eight." Anko called out as she put on some lipgloss and passed the clear white tube to me. I nod and put some on. "Then let's go!" I say as I gave the lipgloss back to her.

I slipped on a pair of blue sandals and followed beside her as we left her apartment.

"You'll get along, don't worry about it. Yugao is a Jonin and Kurenai is a Chunin but they are pretty chill." Anko laughs as we walked down the street towards the pub that she was taking me to.

"So I'm the only genin?" I ask and she shrugs. "We were all genin at somepoint." Anko adds as she hooked her arm with mine and led me inside.

I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as we walked in. The bar was a bit rowdy but the voices and conversations were washed out by the musicians who were playing different songs. There were some people dancing and drinking.

"This way, Hey Kurenai!" Anko waived her arm. I looked around to see if I could see the person she was calling out to.

I noticed a black haired woman look up and wave her hand slightly.

"That's kurenai." Anko pointed as we made it to the booth. "And that's Yugao." She pointed the other kunoichi out. "This is Mizuko-chan." Anko gestured toward me.

"Uh, hi." I smile sheepishly as Anko pulled me towards the booth and I took a seat beside Kurenai.

She was very pretty, with long black hair and reddish brown eyes. "So how did Anko manage to sink her claws in you?" Yugao asked before taking a shot of sake.

"Eh, you mean how we became friends?" I ask and Yugao chuckled. "S-Sink my claws into her?!" Anko stammered and I laughed.

"Hmmm, I guess it started after she spilled hot tea all over me. Or maybe it was all those times she dragged me out of the house to tea ceremonies." I giggle and Anko puffs out her cheeks slightly.

"Sounds like her. Anko can be quite persistent." Kurenai chuckled as she set down two more sake cups. "Drink up." Anko cheered excitedly as she grabbed one of them and took the shot.

I paused for a second as I watched Kurenai pour me a drink as well. "Drink up."

"This is my first time drinking... eh." I shrugged as grabbed the shot glass and tried to drink it all at once. I could feel my face twist in disgust as the drink burned the back of my throat.

"Yuck." I groaned as I felt light tears prickle the corner of my eyes.

"First time?! Most people spit it out."Kurenai gawked and Anko laughed. "See, this is why we're friends."

Third Person POV

"Ahahaha! I was like 'nooo, you didn't' and he was like' I did' ." Anko laughed loudly, everyone had been drinking for a few hours and they were all drunk.

Mizuko was giggling alongside Anko as the older woman retold stories about some of the missions she'd gone to. Some of the things they had to do to complete a mission were actually outlandish and Mizuko was having fun listening to them.

"Wow, being a ninja must be amazing. You go to different countries and see new things all the time. " Mizuko sighed as she effortlessly leaned against the palm of her hand.

"It's amazing alright. But quite dangerous." Yugao spoke up as she took another shot of sake. Mizuko hummed and leaned forward. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking and her mind felt slightly muddled.

"But you're strong. I remember seeing my mother fight, back then, I always found it amazing. Honestly, I think that all that fighting and training makes your bodies more durable. Normal people usually can't compare. " Mizuko pointed out as she lazily sat up, her body swaying slightly as she grabbed the Sake bottle in order to pour some to her own cup. "Eh, I think we are all out." She mumbled as she closed one eye and looked into the empty jug.

Anko glanced at Mizuko and chuckled. "I guess you're right, if we see it from your perspective. Kunoichi have a bit more freedom than the average woman. We aren't required to marry at fifteen, we don't have to obey some husband and we are allowed to choose our own partners most of the time."

"Yeah, unless you're the daughter of a clan head we are guaranteed to marry whoever we want." Kurenai points out as she glances over at Mizuko. Kurenai and Yugao didn't really know much about Mizuko. All that they knew was that she was an Uzumaki, the villages seal master, had multiple children and was friends with someone as wild as Anko. They both figured that she was a civilian despite her chakra reserves. It was quite easy to figure it out as well, she couldn't walk like a ninja and she was really straightforward and honest most of the time.

"I recently became a ninja, only in name of course. I can't really fight to be honest and I doubt I can learn to fight at my age. But if it had been an option for me as a child then I think I would have taken it." She adds as she sets down the jug.

"Nonsense. You're like what sixteen? You're not even past your prime and to be honest you look a lot stronger than when I met you." Anko laughed as she patted Mizuko's back and making her squeal.

"Sixteen? Anko! She's a minor and you're letting her drink?" Kurenai flushed as she whispered in shock.

"If she was a civilian then yeah she would be a minor, but she's a ninja. Old enough to fight, old enough to drink, age of consent for a ninja is sixteen remember." Anko grinned as she pulled Mizuko into a tight hug.

"She's right you know, with a headband and being sixteen you are considered an adult." Yugao shrugged and Kurenai flushed. "Yeah, but as her elders we shouldn't let her, just because she can doesn't mean she should." Kurenai huffed as glanced over at Anko who was handing Mizuko some money.

"Yup, just show them your headband and pay them and they'll bring the Sake over to our table." Anko grinned as she tucked the crumpled Ryo into Mizuko's hand. "Sure thing, Anko-chan! I'll get us the booze!" Mizuko nodded as she got up wobbly.

"I'll be right back." She grinned as she turned and hurried to the bar.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Kurenai stated as she watched Mizuko disappear into the crowd.

"She'll be fine, she isn't some air head you know. You'd be surprised. To be honest, her ninja rank is well deserved, she might not have the fighting skills of a ninja but she has the head for it." Anko laughs as she rests her head against the palm of her hand.

Yugao chuckled as she reached for the Sake bottle. "Oh yeah, we're all out." She grumbled and turned to see if she saw Mizuko in the crowd.

Mizuko swayed slightly as she pushed her way through the small crowds of ninja that were hanging around the booths and the dance floor.

She couldn't help but hmm and dance slightly as she heard the loud music coming from the small live band at the corner of the bar.

As she moved through the sea of dancing people she accidentally ran into a young tall kunoichi with long black hair dancing. "Wow, I love your hair." The kunoichi smiled as she swayed to the beat of the music.

Mizuko stumbled back slightly and her hand unconsciously went to her long red hair. She couldn't help but smile widely and confidently. "Thanks, it's natural." Mizuko replied with a wide smile, she could feel that her movements were slightly sluggish but she quickly started to sway to the beat along with the other girl.

"Names Kiku! " the Kunoichi grinned as she leaned forward to speak over the loud music.

" I'm Mizuko!" Mizuko laughed as she began to dance with Kiku. It was a bit freeing to be able to move around and enjoy the music.

'Was I suppose to get something? What was it?' she thought to herself as she danced alongside Kiku.

Off on the edge of the dance floor Mizuko noticed one of the waitresses moving skillfully through the crowd. All of the ninja were cautious around her and always seemed to let her through the narrow passageways.

'Sake!' She gasped as she remembered. "Gotta go." She stated as she tapped on Kiku's shoulder and hurried through the rest of the crowd.

As soon as she made it out on the other side there were a lot less people and she couldn't help but take a deep breath. The crowded area of the dance floor made it humid, hot , and sweaty so she was happy to get some space to breathe.

She smiled as she noticed the main bar. There were a few groups of ninja loitering around and she smiled as she saw an empty seat.

'Score!' She cheered internally. At this point the alcohol was running through her veins and she felt a bit of liquid courage. She looked at all of the people around her and noticed a guy standing right beside her seat.

'It's been a while, since I've sweet talked someone.' She thought to herself as she walked towards the seat at the bar. 'Eh, who cares, lets see if I still got it.' She smiled brightly at the ninja making slight eye contact with him as she took a seat.

She could feel a small smirk making its way to her face as she glanced over at him and slightly fluttered her lashes and slightly tilted her head as if calling him over.

She giggled as she noticed the guy's cheeks flush a bright red. Casually she turned slightly and lifted her hand slightly and waved before gesturing for him to come over.

The guy grinned and stood up straight as he made his way from across the bar. Mizuko looked away from him and looked around to see if she could see the bartender, she quickly spotted him helping a customer a few chairs away.

'He'll be here in a second. I'm sure he's noticed me." She thought to herself as she turned back to the guy she called over.

"Hey." The guy spoke up as he stood beside her. " I couldn't help but notice you from across the bar-"He started off but for a second her head began slightly spinning.

'Why does, why does it feel like I've been in a situation like this before?' Her mind wandered slightly and because of how loud the music was and how distracted she'd been she didn't even hear what he had said.

Mizuko was confused for a moment but easily shrugged off. "Is that so, hmm what's your name?" She asked sweetly as she slightly leaned forward in suggestive manner. She could see his eyes loose focus from her face and trail down. "A-Aoto!" He stammered out and Mizuko giggled as she carefully covered the her mouth with her hand .

"Aoto-kun? Is it alright if I call you that. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself? We can even share a few drinks." Mizuko carefully got closer to him in a seductive manner.

'It's just like before." she mindlessly thought as he went a little redder and nodded. "Get whatever you'd like." He stammered out and Mizuko smirked and flipped her hair back.

"Here, sit next to me." She giggled as she pat the seat beside her.

"Are you going to be ordering drinks?" The bartender asked and both Aoto and Mizuko turned to the man. "She's on my tab, get whatever you'd like." Aoto smiled as he turned to Mizuko.

'Hook, Line, and Sinker! They better thank me for my efforts!' Mizuko grinned to herself as she looked over the selection of drinks they had. Her eyes widened at the rum and she excitedly sat up.

She carefully covered her mouth as she told the bartender what she wanted. "Can I get 2 large sake bottles for table 11, tell them it's from Mizu-chan and um. Pineapple with a splash of rum for me to drink here." Mizuko quickly told the guy and smiled back at the beside her.

"Alright, but I need to see an I.D." The Bartender stated and Mizuko froze up for a second. 'Why does it feel like this has happened to me before.' She pondered internally.'Damn, did I even bring an ID? What else could I use? Didn't Kurenai mention something about minors? Oh yeah, my headband.'

"Will this do?" She asked as she unsealed a seal on her arm and her Uzushiogakure headband appeared on her hand.

"This headband is, well, it's not a leaf symbol. " The bartender looked confused. "Uzushiogakure headband, I can also show you a jutsu if you need proof that imma ninja." Mizuko shrugged and the bartender stepped back.

"That's fine. No need for demonstrations. What about you sir? Anything you want?" the bartender turned to Aoto and he started to tell him what he wanted.

"So what's your rank?" Mizuko turned to the guy, she was having fun. The music was loud, she was in high spirits from the alcohol running through her, she was talking to some cute random ninja she had picked in the crowd and she just scored her whole table a few rounds of free drinks.

"Oh, me? I passed my chunin exams so I recently ranked up and I'm a full fledged Chunin, what about you." He asked gesturing to the headband.

Mizuko giggled as she slightly pressed her shoulder against him and looked up at him innocently. "Me? I'm just a paper pusher to be honest." She shrugged as she sealed her headband and took the drink the bartender had placed in front of her.

'Gah! This is much better than Sake!' Mizuko almost squealed as she tasted the sweet pineapple juice. To be honest she was probably too drunk to taste the rum that was in the drink.

"This drink is amazing!" Mizuko smiled as she seductively glanced over at him. "We should dance, I don't think I can sit still in this atmosphere." She grinned and the guy went red and shook his head. "Oh, I'm not to much of a dancer-" He began to say but as soon as Mizuk heard him say he didn't want to dance she lost interest.

'Cute but boring.' she slowly began to see if anyone else caught her attention. At this point she had gotten the drinks for the table and herself. 'I wonder if I can find that Kiku girl again, she was fun.' Mizuko thought to herself as she continue to nod and act as if she was listening to what he was saying.

'Maybe I should go back to the table, how crazy would it be if they actually finished both of those bottles by themselves.' She pondered as she sipped her drink and leaned back slightly.

She couldn't help but grin as she noticed a familiar face. 'What was his name? Ka, no, was it Ne- No, what was his name?' She wondered to herself and shrugged.

"Thanks for the drinks Aoto-kun." Mizuko stood up immediately. She could feel the drink go straight to her head and she could feel her cheeks flush and she stumbled slightly.

"See ya!" She grinned and he was barely able to react as Mizuko placed a soft kiss against his lips, wink and ran off into the crowd with her nearly full drink in hand.

"Excuse me!" She squealed as she swayed to the music and pushed her way through the crowd.

She was short enough that she could easily move through the crowd. "Hey!" Mizuko grinned as she walked up beside genma. He had a metal senbon between his teeth, he was wearing his bandana and his Jonin uniform.

"You." His eyes widened as he noticed her. Mizuko giggled slightly as she looks up at him with a smirk. Genma's face flushed as he remembered her, his eyes unconsciously trailing down her body as he noticed her fashion choice, which seemed quite familiar.

"Ah, so you do remember me." Mizuko chuckled and he grinned. "Hard to forget a girl the punched me so hard I nearly passed out." He retorts and chuckles as he notices her face flush at the memory.

Mizuko looked away and sips on her drink. "Yeah, guess that would leave some kind of impression. You probably forgotten by now, Mizuko." She reintroduced herself and he smiles as he turned to her.

"Genma." He nods. "Wanna dance?" He chuckles and Mizuko nods excitedly.

They talked some while they were dancing although it was a little hard. Soon enough they left all conversation and just moved to the beat of the music. They were too drunk to really talk about anything other than the music and drinks.

"I should really head back to my friends, I've been gone for about an hour." Mizuko stated as she tried to speak over the loud music but not too loud that everyone could hear her.

"Who did you come with?" He asked and Mizuko grinned. "My friend Anko Mitarashi." She replied and he stumbled slightly. "Heard she's crazy." He replied and she laughed. "Yeah, and we get along quite well." Mizuko stated as she closed her eyes and danced. He laughed, "You're pretty free spirited."

'Course I am.' she smirked internally but once again she couldn't help but feel like she had been in place like this before. But she couldn't think of any time she would have

"Thanks for the dance Genma, but I should head back." She stated as she pulled away and waved at him as she hurried back to table 11.

"Where did you go?" Anko asked as she noticed Mizuko approach the table.

"Got side tracked." She laughed as she scooted her way back into the booth. "Looks like someone hit the dancefloor." Kurenai chuckled as Mizuko grinned and finished her drink. "Here, some guy gracefully bought the drinks." Mizuko laughed as she tossed the twenty ryo bill at her friend.

"Wait, who the hell did you get to buy us drinks?" Anko stammered out and Mizuko laughed loudly as she sunk into her seat.

"Some guy, what was his name Aeto? Otao? Ah who cares!" she shrugged as she sat up.

Anko was quiet for a moment before laughing loudly. "Scored some booze for free, that's what's up!"

Mizuko laughed alongside her and they high fived. "I don't know if I should be happy that you guys are good friends. Or if I should be concerned." Kurenai slurred as she took a shot.

"Have you guys been sitting here this whole time?" Mizuko slurred out as she grabbed one of the bottles and tried to serve herself another shot.

"Uh, yeah. We were waiting for you to come back." Yugao replied and Mizuko scoffed. "Then let's get up and shake some ass! There's no fun in just sitting around drinking like old men." Mizuko nodded as she took a shot of Sake.

"I'm not really good at dancing." Yugao tried to say but Mizuko placed one finger over her lips. "Shhhh, no worries I'll teach ya how." Mizuko smiled and nodded as she started to get up.

"Come on! It's just going to be us girls dancing together anyways." She stood up and dragged them all out of the dance floor.

"Hahaha! This is great! I haven't had this much fun in a long time!" Mizuko laughed as she stumbled alongside Anko.

"Ne, you two okay? Maybe I should walk you home."Yugao mumbled but Anko laughed and patted her back.

"No worries I'll take her home." She stated as she held onto Mizuko's arm. "Up we go!" Mizuko squealed as she lifted both arms up and they both fell backwards.

"I'm concerned about both of you, not just Mizuko." Yugao crossed her arms as the two of them were on the floor. "Awe she cares!" Mizuko laughed as she struggled to get up. "Here." She grumbled as she helped Anko up.

"She's literally fine, She's fine." Mizuko slurred out as she helped Anko got up. "See." She slurred and Anko gave them a thumbs up. "We are A-Okay!" Anko added and both Kurenai and Yugao faced palmed. "Let's walk them home." Kurenai sighed and Yugao nodded.

"Shhhh, you're too loud." Yugao whispered as she held both Anko and Mizuko upright.

"Children of the ocean, sway, celebrate the and rejoice for the- hehahaha do you think Anko is sober enough to make it home?" Mizuko nearly tipped over as she tried to look at Anko who was trying hard to walk up the stairs to the temple.

"I'm fine, I barely drank. I haven't even blacked out once!" She grinned as Yugao lifted her and brought her up the stairs.

"She can stay in the guest bedroom. Or you can sleep in my bed, but it is a tight squeeze with everyone already there." Mizuko slurred as she grinned at Anko.

" If you get me that futon from last time. I'm in." Anko nodded as she forced herself upright.

"See, we can handle it." Mizuko forced herself up right and opened the door.

"If you say so." Yugao smirked and ruffled Mizuko's hair. "We should definitely hang out again." She nods.

"You two stay safe and go to bed it's 3 am." Kurenai chuckled as she handed Anko's coat to Mizuko.

"We will!" Mizuko nodded as she stumbled into the temple.

"Do you have a shower?" Anko asked as she took off her ninja sandals.

" It's like a small bath house, but it's probably too late for me to fill the hot tub." Mizuko stated as she slightly stumbled as she crouched down to take off her shoes.

"I hadn't gone out like this before. I had a lot of fun."Mizuko mumbled as she tossed her shoes to the side.

"Hehe I told you we'd have fun."Anko laughed as she got up and stretched.

"I think I spilled sake on myself." Mizuko groaned and yawned.

"So... let's go shower?" Anko asked and Mizuko stopped and nodded. "Yeah, let's go shower."

Morning was almost there by the time they got out of the baths.

Mizuko felt tired from being out all night. She didn't know it yet but when she sobered up she would be sore from all the dancing and stumbling from her night out.

Anko seemed less exhausted than her and which made her a bit jealous.

But that didn't matter as she got dressed into some nice warm clothing, since winter was coming to an end there was still some cold nights and it was nice to be in nice comfy clothes.

She was drifting off to sleep in her warm futon.

From the corner of her eye there was a bright red light, through the darkness she could see the light reflecting on her skin.

The color was so bright that she couldn't see any color other than red. Soft music played in the background and she could hear her own heart beat.

She could hear the soft thumping of her heart in her chest.

Blinking rapidly she tried to remember what was going on. All she could think about was how much fun she had.

She could hear someone talking beside her but all she could hear was a distorted voice and gibberish.

She stayed still as she slowly began to look up, she felt herself start t say something and the light flicker into a bright green.

The night sky was clear and the forest looked like dark shades in the background. But right in front of her there was a bright green round light.

The bright green color flickered and from the corner of her eye a bright flash and screaming filled the air.

It was like getting the a punch in the gut. Bright hot pain flaring from the right side of her body and glass flying through the air.

She hissed as the light flickered from green to red a few times.

She shut her eyes as she tried to collect herself .

As she opened them she found herself on the floor, her eyes were trained on the door and she was watching the people pass buy from inside the hospital room.

"I'm not suppose to be here, I don't live here anymore." She thought to herself as she stared at the door without moving a muscle.

As she stared through the bottom of the door she tried not to think about green light she'd seen earlier.

She tried her hardest to remember but as the time went by she started forgetting more and more.

Soon it was like it had never happened,

Mizuko woke up in a soft warm Yukata, Anko was beside her sprawled out.

She sat up and smacked her lips slightly. Memories of the previous night were fresh on her mind.

She couldn't help but shiver slightly as she tried to remember her dream. She knew she had one but couldn't remember what it was about. She looked around at the nearly empty room.

Since they had come home at around 3 am Mizuko had decided to sleep outside of her bedroom since she didn't want to wake everyone up so they crashed in one of the extra rooms in the temple.

They had fallen asleep after showering.

'By the Shinigami, am I still drunk?' Mizuko thought to herself.

She quietly got up but found herself slightly swaying.

With practiced ease she closed the shoji door.

She could hear everyone moving throughout temple.

"Good morning." She yawned sleepily as she walked into one of the living rooms.

Naruto glanced up and smiled at her. "It's afternoon."

"Huh? Already? Guess I slept in." She yawned as she sleepily plopped into one of the sofas.

"What time did you get home?" He asked as he held Kaida's hands as she jumped on the sofa.

" Sometime between three and four in the morning. What time did everyone get up?" She asks and Naruto sighs.

"The babies woke up first. Round 8 am, gave'em a bottle of warm milk with sugar and they were quiet until ten. Umi and I made breakfast and we ate a lot." He shrugged as he lifted Kaida up a few times and plopped her down on his lap before tickling her.

"Then what did y'all do?" She asks and he glanced at her. "We played outside, well at least everyone else. Ryuu and I stayed inside to help Umi-Chan clean up. Kenta and Karin watched over Kaida, Hayami and Yukio while they played on the porch. And I think Nanami watched over everyone else, but they were playing by the fruit trees." He finished off and Mizuko nodded off.

"Sounds like everyone's been busy." Mizuko mumbled as she sunk into the comfy sofa and let out a tired yawn.

Kaida was looking over at Mizuko and she wiggled in Naruto's arms.

"She wants to go with you." He says as he sets her down on the sofa.

She wobbled as she got up. Mizuko smiled as Kaida gave her a gummy smile as she stumbled to walk towards Mizuko.

Mizuko reached over and pulled the small toddler towards her. "Look at my sweet caramel drop, my sweet baby girl. Mwhaa." Mizuko cooed as she placed kisses on Kaida's cheeks which made her squeal and laugh loudly.

"I was going to put her down for a nap, cause she was being fussy." He stayed as he stretched and let himself sink into the sofa.

"She looks wide awake to me, maybe she got frustrated because it was loud." Mizuko pointed out as Kaida bellyflopped on top of her.

"Probably, we were wrestling in the dojo, Karin and Ryuu were also sparing." He stared and Mizuko glanced over at him.

"You watched over them while they were fighting right?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, but they started playing hide in seek. I think they might still be playing it." He says and Mizuko hums.

"I'll take care of her, you can go play if you want." She says and Naruto grins.

"I'm going to go join everybody else. Bye Kaida." He grins as he places a sloppy wet kiss on her forehead and runs off before Kaida can hit him with her chubby baby hand.

Mizuko chuckles at the two of them but she cradled Kaida in her arms and smiles.

"You want a bath?" She asks and Kaida happily claps her hands in excitement.

I feel like this is a filler with a lot of character growth?

Whatever anyways hope you guys liked the chapter.

Rosyhatake/rosymalik


End file.
